Exchanging receiving for rushing is not a wash for Ekeler. Last season, he averaged:
- 10.8 ypr and 1 receiving TD for every 11.5 receptions
- 4.2 ypc and 1 TD for every 44 rushing attempts
Do you see a difference there? He would need 3-4 times as many rushing attempts as receptions lost to hold steady... if his rate/efficiency numbers hold steady. But they won't hold steady. Tyrod/Herbert are not going to give him the same quality of targets or the same quality of offense (i.e., shorter drives, fewer red zone touches, etc.) as the Chargers had with Rivers.
As for his rushing stats prior to Gordon coming back, he averaged less than 4 ypc. His fantasy stats were good due to volume, but I don't see him getting that rushing volume with Jackson and Kelley healthy.