Los Angeles Chargers head coach Anthony Lynn said Friday that running back Austin Ekeler will continue to play "a lot" Sunday despite the expected return of fellow rusher Melvin Gordon.

Daniel Popper of The Athletic noted the Bolts will limit Gordon's touches in his first game since ending his holdout as the team takes on the Denver Broncos in Week 5.

“I don’t want to put him in there and play him too much, and I really don’t have to," Lynn told reporters. "I like what Austin Ekeler has been doing.”

Ekeler's terrific play during Gordon's absence did a lot to limit the starter's holdout leverage.

The 24-year-old Colorado native ranks fifth in the NFL in yards from scrimmage per game (122.5), and he's scored six total touchdowns through four games.

It's made the 2017 undrafted free agent a breakout sensation in the fantasy football world. While Gordon's return is going to hurt his value over the long haul, it sounds like he'll have at least one more week where he's a must-start fantasy commodity.

Lynn said last week Gordon will take back his No. 1 duties once back up to full speed.

"He was our starter for a reason," he told reporters. "I like the way Austin and [Justin Jackson] have been working. They've done an excellent job and proved they can play in this league. They will still have a major role in this offense, but as soon as Melvin's ready, he'll go back to being our No. 1 guy."

The Chargers will have difficulty relegating Ekeler to a bit role given his success, though. The most likely scenario is a timeshare, which is going to make both backs risky from a fantasy perspective.

Gordon is probably going to handle a majority of the early-down and short-yardage work, which will include the bonus of red-zone snaps. Ekeler should remain heavily involved on third down and is going to retain more value in PPR leagues for that reason.

It's possible neither player puts up No. 1 fantasy RB numbers for the rest of the season as a result.

Ekeler's fantasy owners should start him with confidence for at least one more week, though.

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