2018 Chargers fantasy sleepers and players to avoid
By Scott Iger
With the 2018-19 NFL season weeks away from officially kicking off, fantasy football leagues nationwide are now having their drafts.
If you are an avid Los Angeles Chargers fan such as myself, it can often be very alluring to draft our favorite Bolts in fantasy football, but sometimes it could be to our fantasy detriment.
In this article, I am going to discuss which Chargers players you should be on the look out for in your fantasy drafts and which players you may want to avoid completely.
Sleepers
Mike Williams
Due to an offseason injury that held him out of training camp and preseason, Mike Williams saw very limited playing time in his rookie season. Now, with a full offseason under his belt, Williams is set up for a potentially significant role in the Chargers’ offense.
With starting tight end Hunter Henry out for the season with a torn ACL, the Bolts will likely rely on some of the bigger receivers in red zone situations. At 6’4″ and 220 pounds, Williams seems to be the most likely candidate to receive jump ball throws and red zone looks.
Fantasy-wise, Williams is currently going around WR52 in most drafts, so he is not a very expensive pick either. If you find that Williams drops to your pick around pick 125, I would not hesitate to add him to your team.
Philip Rivers
Philip Rivers, who is entering his 15th season with the Bolts, is considered by many to be one of the better quarterbacks in the league, however his fantasy ADP (average draft position) never seems to reflect that.
Despite finishing as the eighth-best quarterback points-wise in 2017-18, Rivers is currently being drafted as QB15. That being said, it seems Rivers is being underrated in many fantasy drafts, making him a quality value pick at the QB position.
Unless you want one of the top-tier fantasy quarterbacks like Tom Brady, Aaron Rodgers or Russell Wilson, you may want to consider waiting until later rounds and picking up the Bolts’ seasoned veteran.
Players to Avoid
Travis Benjamin
Although I have nothing against Travis Benjamin as a player, as I can see that he is very skilled, I struggle to see how he will carve out a significant role in the offense this season.
As a constant deep-play threat, Benjamin was able to produce in fantasy last season by scoring multiple big touchdowns, but with the addition of Mike Williams to the receiving corps and the increasing role of receiving back Austin Ekeler, Benjamin may only really see a lot of work through punt returns.
While I don’t think having Benjamin on your team as a sort of boom-or-bust prospect would be the worst thing, there are probably better options out there.
Caleb Sturgis
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If you watched the Chargers last year, you probably don’t need an explanation for this one. The Bolts’ kicking game was horrible in 2017, and already the Chargers have struggled in their first preseason game with kicking.
By the time the Bolts hit Week 1 of the regular season, Sturgis may not even be the Chargers’ starting kicker, as current backup Roberto Aguayo fights for the starting role.
Regardless of who wins the job, Bolts fans should simply avoid either kicker at all costs until the Bolts’ kicking game is far more consistent, as there are plenty of much, much better options out there.
Which players from the Chargers are you looking to pick up in your fantasy leagues? Let us know in the comments.