Chargers at Cardinals
Game Info
Kickoff: Thursday, August 8th, 2019
Location: State Farm Stadium, Glendale, Arizona
Betting Odds: ARI -1.5 via Oddsshark
Watch On: NFL Network
Arizona Cardinals
What We’ve All Been Waiting For
After all the offseason talk, we will finally get our first look at the new and improved Arizona offense featuring rookie QB Kyler Murray and Head Coach Kliff Kingsbury. One of the most gifted offensive minds in college football paired with a rookie QB coming off of a historic, Heisman-winning season is a perfect storm for fantasy fans. We likely won’t see Murray for long as the Cardinals will not want to risk their future star in the preseason games. Something to look out for is the pace of play that the team will play. Kingsbury has stated multiple times this offseason that the team will be aiming to run 90-plays a game. Although that would be amazing, it is highly unlikely. However, it would not be surprising to see around 65 plays a game simply due to the nature of Kingsbury’s air-raid offense.
Who Will Round Out The Cardinals WR Core?
The Cardinals completely overhauled their WR core this offseason except for 14-year, future HOFer Larry Fitzgerald and 2018 2nd round draft choice Christian Kirk. Beyond those two, who are firmly planted in the top two WR roles, the Cardinals third and fourth WR spots are completely up for grabs. The current favorites to watch out for are the oft-injured Kevin White, and 2019 rookies Andy Isabella, Keesean Johnson, and Hakeem Butler. All four should get a good amount of run this preseason as Kingsbury attempts to see what he’s got in each. In an offense that projects to be as fruitful for fantasy as the Arizona Cardinals, it would be wise to keep an eye on all of their skill positions.
Update: Isabella is nursing a knee injury and is unlikely to play Thursday.
O-line Woes
According to Pro Football Focus, the Cardinals boasted the worst offensive line in professional football in 2018 and it was very evident. Play after play, the Cardinals had to deal with pressure in the backfield which is not a recipe for success. Throughout the offseason, the Cardinals made moves to improve their offensive line play. Starting at the top they hired Sean Kugler, formally of the Denver Broncos, to coach the unit. Next, they traded for former Steelers RT Marcus Gilbert, who when healthy has been impressive, however, he has not been healthy often these past few seasons. Following the trade, they signed RG J.R. Sweezy. The new spread offense implemented by Kingsbury should also help relieve some pressure. The Cardinals will need better play from their offensive line if they want to be successful during the 2019 and Thursday should give us a preview of what is to come this season.
Los Angeles Chargers
Who Will Show Out During The Holdout?
Everyone in the fantasy community knows that Chargers star RB Melvin Gordon has not reported to camp and is currently holding out for a new contract, which as huge implications on fantasy. Gordon has shown no intention of coming back any time soon so it is time for us to start preparing for the worst. If Gordon does not return, it will be Austin Ekeler and Justin Jackson that will fight for starting duties. Last year, when Gordon sat out injured, it was Ekeler who got the first crack at the starting job. In his few games as the starter, he was rather ineffective posting mediocre totals, however, it is too small of a sample to claim that Ekeler would not be effective as the starter. Second-year RB Justin Jackson showed flashes of his talent last year and provides good depth for the Chargers. Each RB has a good chance to take a large chunk of the pie that Gordon leaves behind. If one dominates the preseason it would not surprise me if that RB gets the first go at the starting gig. Check out Michael Miklius’ Going Deep on the Chargers backfield for more on the topic.
Hunter Henry’s Return
Yes, Henry did technically return in January for the AFC Divisional Round of the playoffs but he was limited and only played 14 snaps. After tearing his ACL in May of 2018 Henry is fully recovered heading into this season. This Thursday could be our first time seeing Henry in real game action at full speed in over a year. With Tyrell Williams and Antonio Gates gone there is a huge vacancy in targets in this year’s Chargers offense and a large portion of those could go Henry’s way. If Henry can return to the form from what we saw in 2017, he will quickly become one of Philip Rivers favorite targets and will be a huge advantage to have at the TE position in fantasy.
Tyrell Williams Replacement
Similarly to the Cardinals, beyond Keenan Allen and Mike Williams, the Chargers are heading into the preseason without a clear cut #3 option. After Tyrell Williams signed with the Oakland Raiders this past offseason the Chargers were left with a hole at their WR position. The current favorite to win the job is Travis Benjamin, though, he has been nagged by minor injuries during his time in LA. If Benjamin can stay healthy and show how dominant he can be he has a great chance at walking into a stellar situation as a piece of a Philip Rivers led offense.
-Matthew Perri