Fantasy Football options for the San Diego Chargers

The San Diego Chargers were a team that fantasy players were better off avoiding last season. Philip Rivers was more or less his usual self but injuries and overrall bad play caused their offense to stall during the second half of 2015.

Barring another injury-riddled season, San Diego should have a top-tier offense in 2016. Rivers is still leading the way and with the new additions of Travis Benjamin and Hunter Henry, the offense is primed to be a force.

In terms of fantasy football, the San Diego Chargers offense is full of questions The running backs situation is far from settled and Rivers’ age is also worrisome. However, health is the main concern regarding the Bolts and their fantasy options.

Last season, Keenan Allen was a top-10 receiver before his season-ending injury. If Allen can remain on the field, he along with Rivers will be the two Chargers you want to have on your team. Secondly, and possibly even more important than Allen’s health is the health of the offensive line. The Chargers used seven different starting line combinations last season and it was the main reason for the Chargers struggles on offense. Rivers had no time to throw and Melvin Gordon and company had no holes to run through.

If the Chargers are going to have a productive offense in 2016 and one that makes fantasy football players happy, staying healthy is their best bet.

What about the Chargers defense? Can they be a successful unit for a fantasy team?

No. The San Diego defense needs to prove itself. No matter the situation, you won’t want to waste a pick on the San Diego defense.

Philip Rivers – QB (YDs:4,792/TDs:29/INTs:13/CMP%:66)

In recent years, Rivers has been one of the best fantasy quarterbacks in the NFL. He has been a number one quarterback option in each of the past three seasons. Even last year where he had little help around him, Rivers remained a good fantasy option. I expect bigger things this year with a rejuvenated receiving corps and hopefully an improved running game. Yahoo! Sports, has Rivers ranked as the 12th best quarterback option in standard leagues making him a late-round QB1. ESPN has him 11th, further evidence that Rivers is a solid option at quarterback.

If your draft strategy is to stack up on backs and receivers early, look for Rivers in the later rounds of the draft as he should be one more consistent with better options on the outside.

Keenan Allen – WR (YDs:725/TDs:4/RECs:67)

2015 was supposed to be the year Keenan Allen broke out. He was on his way to acheiving that goal until week 8 against Baltimore. After grabbing a beautiful touchdown over two Ravens defensive backs, Allen did not get back up. It was later revealed that when he hit the turf, the impact caused a lacerated kidney and it would force him to miss the rest of the season.

Now, with a new contract extension worth $45 million over four years, Allen is once again ready to break out into the elite tier of NFL receivers. Yahoo! Sports panel of experts have Allen just outside the top-ten. At the moment, Allen is a borderline WR1/WR2 option. Personally, I would be wary of Allen’s injury history and would rather him be my WR2. With him and another strong receiver, there’s a really good chance that duo is the best in your league.

Antonio Gates – TE (YDs:630/TDs:5/RECs:56)

As his career is winding down, Antonio Gates is still producing. Him and Rivers still are connecting on touchdowns and finding each other in crucial moments late in the game. Although the Chargers drafted his replacement this year it does not mean Gates turned into a bad option at tight end. Ladarius Green was his backup for the last few seasons and he is loaded with talent, however Gates still managed to be the 11th best scoring tight end in football last year.

If you are looking for a consistent option off your bench, Gates is a solid choice. Although he may be a starter in a some leagues, if you have a top-tier tight end ahead of him; Gates will fit nicely coming off of the bench.

Sleepers:

Travis Benjamin – WR (YDs:966/TDs:5/RECs:68)

Arguably the biggest splash San Diego made in free agency was siging wide receiver Travis Benjamin to a four-year deal. Benjamin will be the teams go-to deep threat and will be the number two receiver behind Allen.

At best a flex-option, Benjamin would be a great piece to draft in the final few rounds of your fantasy draft. A boom-or-bust player, Benjamin is going to provide some big plays for the San Diego offense and if you start him on the right day, he is going to put up crazy numbers. He left Cleveland and now has a great quarterback throwing him the ball. Keep an eye out for Benjamin as your draft winds down.

Hunter Henry – TE (YDs:739/TDs:3/RECs:51)*2015 college stats

A second-round draft pick, Henry was the best tight end prospect in the 2016 NFL draft. His sure hands and consistent play are what makes him a special talent and the perfect replacement for Gates.

To be honest, Henry may not have a big role in the first few weeks of the season. If Gates is healthy, Gates will receive most of the targets and Henry will be spelling Gates on run plays. Occasionally, Henry will also be involved in some two tight end sets. Then why is he a sleeper? Well, if Gates goes down with injury, Henry should be immediately picked up on the waiver wire. Henry will be Rivers’ security blanket and would defintely put up nice numbers.

Players to Avoid:

Melvin Gordon – RB (YDs:641/TDs:0/YPC:3.5)

Argue all you want but Melvin Gordon was terrible last season. He had major issues holding onto the football and rarely had a positive impact on a game. Yes, the offensive line was terrible but Gordon didn’t make things better. His fantasy stock is very low as it should be.

Although he could turn things around, Gordon isn’t the player I would bet on. Danny Woodhead sees a lot of time in the backfield on passing downs and that takes a lot of value away from Gordon. If you want to risk taking Gordon with a pick, do it late in the draft and have players in front of him.

If he does start to turn things around and he’s on your team congratulations because the Chargers will be using him a ton.

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