Assessing Chargers players for Week 3 in Fantasy Football

Life as a Chargers fan sure is tough, but things are a little bit brighter in the fantasy aspect.

In Week 2, the Bolts suffered yet another devastating loss, but their skill position players still performed decently well. In their Week 3 matchup, the Chargers face a staunch Kansas City defense, but the Chiefs have been involved a couple high-scoring games thus far.

Let’s see how the Chargers may fare this week in fantasy:

Keenan Allen:

After consecutive strong weeks, Allen is becoming a must-start in the fantasy world. As expected, Allen has been a favorite target of Philip Rivers.

In the Chargers’ matchup with the Dolphins, Allen had nine receptions for a total of 100 yards. In terms of fantasy, Allen has averaged roughly 10 points over the first two weeks. Although Kansas City has cornerback Marcus Peters, Allen has essentially become a must-start WR2.

Philip Rivers:

Although the Chargers’ offense has struggled thus far in the run game, the Bolts’ passing has been phenomenal. Rivers has already thrown four touchdowns, and has averaged around 17 fantasy points per week.

While Rivers is not necessarily a bona fide QB1, he is definitely a player to consider. Perhaps with a tough matchup this week, it may be smart to avoid Rivers in leagues that are not very deep.

Hunter Henry:

After a target-less Week 1, Henry had a strong outing in the Bolts’ Week 2 matchup with the Dolphins. Henry accrued 80 yards on seven receptions out of seven targets.

While Henry was certainly a disappointment Week 1, he proved his worth in Week 2. While Henry still lacks a bit of consistency, consider him a borderline TE1 for this week’s matchup.

Start or Sit?

Here are the players previously mentioned, along with some who were not, with the parentheses indicating the tier of each player in fantasy terms and my projection for them this week:

• Philip Rivers – Bench (QB1/QB2) – My Projection: 13 points (Standard)
• Melvin Gordon – Start (RB1) – My Projection: 15 points (Standard), 17 points (PPR)
• Keenan Allen – Start (WR1/WR2) – My Projection: 10 points (Standard), 17 points (PPR)
• Tyrell Williams – Start (WR3/Flex) – My Projection: 5 points (Standard), 10 points (PPR)
• Hunter Henry – Start (TE1/TE2) – My Projection: 6 points (Standard), 10 points (PPR)
• Travis Benjamin – Bench (WR3/WR4) – My Projection: 3 points (Standard), 5 points (PPR)
• Antonio Gates – Bench (TE2) – My Projection: 4 points (Standard), 6 points (PPR)
• Branden Oliver – Bench (RB3/RB4) – My Projection: 3 points (Standard), 4 points (PPR)
• Austin Ekeler – Bench (RB4) – My Projection: 1 point (Standard), 2 points (PPR)
• Dontrelle Inman – Bench (WR4/WR5) – My Projection: 1 point (Standard), 2 points (PPR)

What are you expecting out of the Bolts this week in fantasy? Let us know your thoughts in the comments.