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Fantasy Football: San Diego Chargers Season Preview

By Bruce Matson

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San Diego Chargers Season Preview

The Chargers had a 9-7 record while finishing last season 2nd in the AFC West Division. San Diego has a lot of promise when it comes to fantasy production from their skilled players. They have an offense that can move the ball and keep the chains moving. They are a team that will get in a lot of shoot-outs during the season. San Diego has a lot of prospects that will provide value for your team that you can get late in your fantasy draft this year.

Quarterback

Philip Rivers

Rivers finished last season ranked 10th among quarterbacks in fantasy production with 388.50 fantasy points on the year while averaging 24.28 fantasy points per game. Rivers had 10 games where he scored 20 fantasy points or more. Rivers is a very dependable fantasy starter, especially if you want to draft QB late in your fantasy draft. He only had 1 week last year where he was a complete bust, which means he’s very consistent. I like Rivers this year, and he’s going to come at a value in drafts when it comes to his ADP versus the production that you will receive from him.

Running Back

Melvin Gordon

The Chargers moved up in the first round to select Melvin Gordon in this year’s draft. By moving up in the draft, the Chargers are sending a signal that Gordon is their guy, and they are going to use him. I look for Gordon to be productive in fantasy this year as a rookie. He’s in a good situation where he’s going to get more than enough work to deliver high-end fantasy production.

Branden Oliver

Oliver had some big weeks last season as a fill in due to injuries to the starters. Oliver is going to play second fiddle to Gordon, but he should get some 3rd down work, and some touches around the goal line. I don’t recommend drafting Oliver, but he should be on your watch list for a waiver wire pick up if Gordon was to go down with an injury.

Danny Woodhead

Woodhead missed most of last season due to fracturing his ankle and fibula. He is back to 100% health and he could be a steal late in your fantasy drafts this year, especially in PPR leagues. A lot of fantasy owners are going to forget about Woodhead, but he’s still going to be used on passing downs and he’s going to get a lot of receptions. Woodhead is going to be available late in your drafts.

Wide Receiver

Keenan Allen

Allen finished last season ranked 36th among wide receivers in fantasy production with 182.80 fantasy points on the year averaging 13.06 points per game. Allen had 8 games last year where he scored 10 points or more and he had 2 games where he scored 20 fantasy points or more. Allen is a solid WR2 who will give you WR1 upside during some weeks. He is going to go in the middle rounds of drafts, which is a really good value compared to the production that you will receive from him. He seems like another player a lot of owners are discounting in fantasy, but I think Allen will provide more production then what his current value is.

Malcom Floyd

Floyd finished last season ranked 39th among receivers in fantasy production with 175.10 averaging 10.94 fantasy points per game. Floyd had 10 games where he scored 10 fantasy points or more, and he had 1 game last year where he scored 20 fantasy points or more. Floyd is going really late in drafts, and you could snag him as one of your last picks to solidify your bench. Floyd is a real good value this year.

Stevie Johnson

Johnson could be a player to target off the waiver wire this year. The Chargers signed him in the off-season this year after having a short stint with the San Francisco 49ers. Put him on your watch list, because there’s a probability that he could be a value in PPR leagues later in the year.

Dontrelle Inman

Keep him in mind, because he’s a young talented wide receiver who could break out if given the opportunity. Put him on your watch list, and try to get him off waivers if it looks like he’s going to get his big opportunity.

Tight End

Antonio Gates

Gates finished last season ranked 4th in the league among tight ends in fantasy production averaging 13.94 fantasy points per game. He had 9 games where he scored 10 fantasy points or more, and he had 4 games where he scored 20 fantasy points or more. The question with Gates is how much does he have left in the tank, and will he produce at this level again? I like Gates, but he does have some risk. The wide receiver corps for San Diego is a little deeper this season, and Gates is at that age where his production could fall off drastically. I would only draft Gates if he fell in the draft.

Ladarius Green

Green is one of the reasons why you should exercise caution with Gates this year. Green is highly athletic and if given the opportunity he could be a top-10 tight end in the league. I look for the Chargers to use Gates until the wheels fall off, but the question is when are they going to fall off? I wouldn’t draft Green unless Gates gets injured during camp. If Gates is injured for any amount of time this season then I would swiftly acquire Green off waivers, because he is capable of being a TE1.

Defense/Special Teams

The Chargers DST ranked 22nd in fantasy scoring last season with 83 fantasy points on the year. They had 6 games where they scored 10 fantasy points or more, proving that they were a solid stream last year even though they ranked in the bottom half of the league on defense. I look for the Chargers to be similar to last year by not being a dependable starter for your lineup, but a solid stream when facing favorable matchups.

Need help making roster decisions? Need help on who to pick off the waiver wire? Need an opinion on that trade offer that’s in your inbox? I’m your guy, follow me on Twitter @bmatz08, and I’ll give you the guidance you need to make the best choice for your fantasy team

Next: Kansas City Chiefs Season Preview

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