Daily Dr. Roto — August 8, 2018
Los Angeles Chargers Team Preview
Outlook: If there is any word to describe the Chargers it would be snake-bit. The Chargers have already lost TE Hunter Henry and CB Jason Verrett for the season—and the season has not even started! The Chargers always figure out a way to stay in playoff contention but fail to get it done in the end. Sadly, I see that happening once again in 2018.
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QB: There are going to be many arguments why Philip Rivers is not a Hall of Fame player, but they won’t be coming from me. I think he is a potential HOF player and only his lack of Super Bowl rings keep him from greatness. He has been great in Fantasy circles for over a decade, and I don’t see that stopping now. Assuming good health, Rivers is a lock for 4200+ passing yards and 25+ TDs. What’s even better is that he is seldom taken before the QB11 or 12 at your draft. I love pairing Rivers with a young unproven QB like Patrick Mahomes or Mitchell Trubisky. This way you can go with the young gun when they are in a good matchup and use the steady Rivers when they have a tough matchup.
RB: A lot of Fantasy experts will look to Melvin Gordon’s 3.9 YPC in 2017 to say that he is slowing down. I completely disagree with this analysis. The Chargers OL was decimated last season, and Gordon barely found any room to run on most plays. What Fantasy owners should be more concerned about is with his amount of touches. Gordon touched the football about 330 times last season, and I expect him to have a similar number in 2018. Touches equal points in Fantasy leagues and Gordon is beast when it comes to that (think 1400+ total yards from scrimmage and double-digit TDs). The Chargers love Austin Ekeler in Danny Woodhead’s old third down and two-minute drill role. Ekeler is a terrific pass catcher out of the backfield and has a sneaky burst that makes him especially useful on draw plays. I love him as an RB4 in PPR formats.
Think you can beat the elite? Just $299 to find out if you have what it takes to win the $50K grand prize!WR: Keenan Allen (Roto) is one of the first children in the Roto family. He is an exceptional route runner with terrific hands who always finds a way to get open. Allen’s biggest flaw has been his inability to stay healthy, but if he can stay on the field for 16 games, he is a lock for 100 receptions and 1200+ receiving yards. Tyrell Williams will most likely be the WR2, but I think it will be more so in name than in actual receptions. Williams is typically more of a receiver who has a knack for making a big play than he does for week to week consistency. I am okay drafting him as my WR4 in the middle rounds, but I tend to overlook him as I prefer players with more upside. Speaking of upside, no player on the Chargers has more upside than WR Mike Williams. Williams was the team’s first-round pick out of Clemson last season, but he had an injured back and never really got to train with the team until like Week 9 or 10 of 2017. Now Williams is healthy again and making big plays in training camp. He is starting to gel with Rivers, and he has the upside to be an impact receiver who can complement Keenan Allen. Look for Williams to get close to 900 yards and 8 TDs this season, but he could be on the verge of stardom moving forward.
TE: I was all ready to list Hunter Henry as one of the top plays at the position, but his injury will keep him out this season, and he is nothing more than a late-round stash in keeper league formats. Virgil Green will get the first opportunity to replace Henry and might be a sneaky source of Fantasy points. Green is one of the top blockers in the game but has never emerged as a receiving threat. It’s funny because Green was considered more of a receiver than a blocker back at the University of Nevada. Green could get about 500 receiving yards and 5 TDs if he can prove to be the full-time starter. There are many rumors that the team with bring back Antonio Gates now that Henry is out. If so, Gates will have value only in TD-only formats, as he cannot run downfield on too many passing plays and is much better as a red zone presence.
K: As of this minute it looks like Caleb Sturgis will be the team’s kicker. Sturgis is very erratic and will be on a short leash. Look for Rivers to “go for it” on many fourth downs to avoid Sturgis kicking.
D: From Joey Bosa to Melvin Ingram to Derwin James, the Chargers are loaded with talented defensive players. They are one of my go-to defenses in seasonal formats, and Bosa is one of my top overall players in IDP formats. Watch for James to have a big year as well.
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