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Chargers Fantasy Preview: Ride Hunter Henry again vs. Titans

By Alexander Insdorf

CARSON, CALIFORNIA - OCTOBER 13: Tight end Hunter Henry #86 of the Los Angeles Chargers makes the catch for a touchdown as cornerback Joe Haden #23 of the Pittsburgh Steelers defends during the fourth quarter at Dignity Health Sports Park on October 13, 2019 in Carson, California. (Photo by Katharine Lotze/Getty Images)
CARSON, CALIFORNIA - OCTOBER 13: Tight end Hunter Henry #86 of the Los Angeles Chargers makes the catch for a touchdown as cornerback Joe Haden #23 of the Pittsburgh Steelers defends during the fourth quarter at Dignity Health Sports Park on October 13, 2019 in Carson, California. (Photo by Katharine Lotze/Getty Images) /
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LONDON, ENGLAND – OCTOBER 21: Austin Ekeler (30) of the Los Angeles Chargers is tackled by Wesley Woodyard (59) of the Tennessee Titans during the Tennessee Titans against the Los Angeles Chargers at Wembley Stadium on October 21, 2018 in London, England. (Photo by Justin Setterfield/Getty Images)
LONDON, ENGLAND – OCTOBER 21: Austin Ekeler (30) of the Los Angeles Chargers is tackled by Wesley Woodyard (59) of the Tennessee Titans during the Tennessee Titans against the Los Angeles Chargers at Wembley Stadium on October 21, 2018 in London, England. (Photo by Justin Setterfield/Getty Images) /

The Los Angeles Chargers need some yards and touchdowns vs. the Titans as well as a win. Hunter Henry looks to repeat his numbers last week while every other Charger looks to rebound.

Apart from the performance of Hunter Henry, it felt like every other fantasy option for the Chargers disappointed last week. Philip Rivers ended up throwing two touchdowns in garbage time, but it was a mediocre day considering the two interceptions and the fumble. This week, the Chargers have a must-win game in Tennessee, where they have to find a way to get some of their weapons going. Let’s get into this Week 7 fantasy preview.

The running game

The running game is a disaster, and the Chargers are 27th in rush yards per game. Melvin Gordon is struggling with 2.5 yards per carry on 20 rushes since his return, while Austin Ekeler is having the same struggles on the ground with 3.8 yards per carry. Ekeler has made up for some of the struggles with receptions, but it’s still hard to really trust either right now as fantasy options.

Poor starts are also hurting the rushing attack overall. The Chargers have been down 21-0 and 17-0 the last two weeks, which of course makes running the ball later in the game much harder with a need to save time on the clock. If they finally can get out to a decent start, maybe the running game has a chance. With running backs incredibly thin at this point in the year, there’s probably no other real choice but to start Ekeler or Gordon if your team has one of them.

The defense

Marcus Mariota is no longer the starting quarterback for the Titans, as he’s been benched for Ryan Tannehill. On that basis alone, some might think to start the Chargers’ defense. However, there are some red flags. Derrick Henry has the potential to have a lot of fun against a defensive line that is missing Brandon Mebane, Justin Jones, and Melvin Ingram. The tackling has also looked really poor the past few weeks, especially vs. the Steelers.

The Titans’ offense is certainly in the bottom 10 in the league, but so was the Steelers last week. There’s not much concern as to whether the defense will show up, but there’s uncertainty with which team the pace of play goes in favor of. Start the Chargers considering how many sacks the Titans are allowing, as well as the quarterback situation, but don’t be surprised if it goes wrong.

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