Assessing Chargers players for Week 1 in Fantasy Football

As a very active fantasy player and a Los Angeles Chargers fan, the Chargers are typically on the forefront of my fantasy radar.

The Bolts’ Week 1 matchup with the daunting Denver Broncos defense may cause some people to shy away from starting the Chargers’ top players, but should they? Let’s look at how some players could do this week.

Melvin Gordon

Melvin Gordon, a first-round pick in most, if not all fantasy leagues, is one of the ascending stars of the NFL. While the matchup against the Broncos is not ideal, Gordon still remains a must-start.

In two games against Denver last season, Gordon combined for over 200 rushing yards, which is a large achievement against a stout Denver defense. With the absences of players such as Shane Ray, DeMarcus Ware, and TJ Ward the Denver defense is arguably weakened.

If you drafted Gordon in your fantasy league, he remains a must-start this week despite a tough matchup.

Keenan Allen

Perhaps one of the most anticipated players this season, Keenan Allen has the potential to be a top receiver in the NFL provided that he stays healthy. His debut game against the Broncos should bring a lot of excitement to fantasy owners, but they may want to be wary about starting Allen this week.

While Allen is very talented and could have a strong game, being guarded by the likes of Aqib Talib and Chris Harris Jr., there might be better options out there. I feel that Allen has good value as a FLEX option, but past that, this week might be a tough one for him.

Philip Rivers

Philip Rivers, who is perhaps one of the most consistent fantasy quarterbacks in the NFL, is in an interesting predicament this week. Although the Chargers have a tough matchup against Denver, Rivers remains a decent option at quarterback.

While Rivers may not be an ideal QB1 for fantasy purposes, he is a good streaming option for players struggling at the position.

Hunter Henry

Hunter Henry is the apparent heir to Antonio Gates’ role as the Chargers’ starting tight end. Henry, who had 8 touchdowns and close to 500 yards last season, would typically be a good fantasy option, but he may have an interesting issue this week.

With Gates currently being one touchdown away from breaking Tony Gonzalez’s record for most touchdowns by a tight end, Gates may get a lot of red zone usage. Therefore, Henry will be a high floor, low ceiling player this week.

Chargers D/ST

Although in the past the Chargers’ defense has not been considered good, their appeal is much higher now than in years past. With a collection of players such as Joey Bosa, Melvin Ingram, Casey Hayward and Jason Verrett, the Chargers’ defense has a lot of potential this year.

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While the Chargers easily have one of the hardest schedules in the NFL, their matchup this week is actually fairly good. The Broncos have apparent problems at the quarterback position, and they struggle on offense in general. I actually like the Chargers defense this week and I think that they could be a sneaky start.

How do you think the Chargers’ players will perform this week in fantasy? Let us know in the comment section.