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Chargers Week 8 Fantasy Preview: Wideouts are risky vs. Chicago

By Alexander Insdorf

NASHVILLE, TN - OCTOBER 20: Keenan Allen #13 of the Los Angeles Chargers signals first down after catching a pass during a game against the Tennessee Titans at Nissan Stadium on October 20, 2019 in Nashville, Tennessee. (Photo by Wesley Hitt/Getty Images)
NASHVILLE, TN - OCTOBER 20: Keenan Allen #13 of the Los Angeles Chargers signals first down after catching a pass during a game against the Tennessee Titans at Nissan Stadium on October 20, 2019 in Nashville, Tennessee. (Photo by Wesley Hitt/Getty Images) /
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NASHVILLE, TN – OCTOBER 20: Joey Bosa #97 of the Los Angeles Chargers rushes the quarterback and is blocked by Dennis Kelly #71 of the Tennessee Titans at Nissan Stadium on October 20, 2019 in Nashville, Tennessee. The Titans defeated the Chargers 23-20. (Photo by Wesley Hitt/Getty Images)
NASHVILLE, TN – OCTOBER 20: Joey Bosa #97 of the Los Angeles Chargers rushes the quarterback and is blocked by Dennis Kelly #71 of the Tennessee Titans at Nissan Stadium on October 20, 2019 in Nashville, Tennessee. The Titans defeated the Chargers 23-20. (Photo by Wesley Hitt/Getty Images) /

The Los Angeles Chargers play one of the toughest defenses in the NFL in Chicago on Sunday. With a challenge on the defensive side and the team desperate for a win, are there trustworthy fantasy options?

Austin Ekeler led the way vs. Tennessee from a fantasy standpoint, finishing with seven receptions, a touchdown, and 118 receiving yards.  Hunter Henry was also able to rack up a good amount of yards and catches, but other than those two, most fantasy options for the Chargers disappointed once again. The crusher for some fantasy owners and Chargers fans came when Melvin Gordon fumbled the ball twice at the end of the game. With the season rapidly approaching the brink, who puts up big numbers vs. Chicago? Let’s get into this Week 8 fantasy preview.

The running game

The Chargers are likely having a tough week on the ground. Chicago’s defensive line is what it is while going up against an offensive line in flux. Gordon, at this point, seems like a strictly touchdown-dependent option.

He’s a starter in deeper leagues with a lack of better options, but it feels pretty likely he’s not getting over 50 yards Sunday. For the rest of the season, but especially vs. the Bears, Gordon is a touchdown-dependent option.

The intrigue really comes with Ekeler for fantasy players that have him. Ekeler likely won’t get a lot of carries, probably between five and ten realistically speaking. But with a banged-up receiving corps, it’s likely Philip Rivers will try to find him for some catches. Ekeler has the most receptions on the Chargers this season. That isn’t a typo.  He’s third in the league in receptions and Keenan Allen will be limited or out tomorrow. Start him, even with fewer rush attempts.

The defense

The Chargers’ defense has had a rough past two weeks vs. Tennessee and Pittsburgh. Chicago certainly presents a recipe to having a better fantasy week. Mitchell Trubisky has had his own struggles and they haven’t really been able to get a consistent running game going. Matt Nagy will try to make sure everything’s on point for the offense to avoid another home loss, but there are too many inconsistent cogs in this offense.

The Bears can still win the game despite their offense, but it’s unlikely to happen in a shootout fashion. This will be a low scoring game regardless of who wins but because of the inefficiency of the Bears’ offense, the Chargers’ defense is a decent start in most leagues.

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