Game Info
Kickoff: Monday, October 21, 2024, 9:00 PM ET
Location: State Farm Stadium, Glendale, AZ
Network: ESPN+
Los Angeles Chargers
Quarterback
Justin Herbert: Sit
Justin Herbert is fresh off his best game of the season and hasn’t thrown an interception in over a month. So why in the name of Dan Fouts is he a “Sit?” Well, last week’s effort against the Denver Broncos was the first time that Herbert threw for over 200 yards in a game this season and only the second time he cracked the 150-yard mark. If Jim Harbaugh and Greg Roman care not for your Herbert shares, then it’s time to ask yourself why you’re still holding onto them. Sitting Herbert in a traditional 12-team, 1QB league isn’t enough. It’s time to part ways and start streaming your quarterback.
Running Back
J.K. Dobbins: Start, RB2
Kimani Vidal: Sit
J.K. Dobbins is finally healthy in 2024, and he’s starting to enjoy the kind of season his fantasy managers have dreamed about for years now. He’s a perfect fit in Greg Roman’s offense, and fantasy managers who acquired him for cheap in drafts or free agency are flourishing. Dobbins has been a Top 15 RB so far this season, and he has crossed the 100 total yards threshold three times in five games. He should hit that mark again in a plus-matchup: only six teams have coughed up more fantasy points per game (FPPG) than the Arizona Cardinals.
Given the matchup, you could do worse than Kimani Vidal as a FLEX option if your roster has been stung by injuries and bye weeks. The rookie scored his first NFL touchdown on an impressive 38-yard catch-and-run last week while filling in for the injured Gus Edwards, but he played a scant 24 percent of the team’s snaps and garnered only six touches. Vidal offers upside as a potential high-efficiency option, but he’s unlikely to see the kind of workload that fantasy managers desire in a starting running back.
Wide Receiver
Ladd McConkey: Start, WR3
Quentin Johnson: Sit
Joshua Palmer: Sit
Ladd McConkey has led the Chargers wide receiver room in targets for three consecutive weeks and saw twice as many looks as any other Bolts wideout in Week 6. He is tied for the team lead in most red zone opportunities in that position group, and he’s the only Chargers wide receiver to haul in a touchdown pass over the past two games. If anyone’s going to catch a touchdown pass from Herbert, and odds are someone will, it’ll most likely be McConkey. After scoring three touchdowns in Weeks 2 and 3 and teasing fantasy managers into wasting precious FAAB dollars, Quentin Johnson has failed to find paydirt over the past two games and has managed to accrue only 35 yards from scrimmage in the process. Joshua Palmer just isn’t going to be a thing in this offense as a possession receiver who has yet to draw more than four targets in a single game this year.
Tight End
Hayden Hurst: Sit
Will Dissly: Sit
Move along, there’s nothing to see here. No, really, there’s literally nothing here. Through Week 6, Hayden Hurst‘s best finish was a 5.3-point effort in Week 1 as the overall TE19 against the Las Vegas Raiders. Will Dissly has actually been the more prolific option of the two over the course of the season so far, but that’s not saying much since the former Seattle Seahawks’ best effort was a 5.9 finish as the TE18 in Week 2 against the lowly Carolina Panthers. Our sincerest apologies for offering an entire paragraph about these two feeble fantasy options.
Arizona Cardinals
Quarterback
Kyler Murray: Start, QB1
Kyler Murray‘s name appears on the long list of fantasy disappointments this year. With Harrison, Jr.’s status in question, this is probably not the week where the Mighty Mite leaps back into the realm of elite fantasy quarterbacks. The matchup isn’t ideal, as the Chargers have allowed the 7th fewest total of FPPG to opposing QBs. Nevertheless, Murray offers a high enough floor with his rushing ability, and his completion percentage (68.2%) to date is his best since 2021. Expect Murray to post low-end QB1 numbers as the more productive fantasy quarterback in this Monday Night Football matchup.
Running Back
James Conner: Start, RB2
Trey Benson: Sit
James Conner, who seems to relish in defying the odds, is falling out of favor with fantasy managers after a Week 6 stinker against the Green Bay Packers in which he fumbled and logged only 24 rushing yards. Trey Benson led the team in rushing (5-26-0) while playing only 19 percent of the team’s offensive snaps. Prior to last week, Conner played 62 percent or more of the team’s snaps in all but one contest: Week 4 against the Washington Commanders, when he ground out 104 yards and a touchdown on 18 carries. Conner saw 5 targets in the passing game last week, a promising sign as it was his highest total of the season to date. However, only four teams have allowed fewer FPPG to opposing RBs than the Chargers, so expect Conner to perform as a low-end RB2 in Week 7.
Wide Receiver
Marvin Harrison, Jr: Start, WR1 (QUESTIONABLE: concussion)
Michael Wilson: Start, FLEX
Greg Dortch: Sit
Zay Jones: Sit
Xavier Weaver: Sit
If Marvin Harrison, Jr. clears concussion protocol, he’s an obvious must-start. While the odds are slightly against the talented rookie receiving the green light in Week 7, a Monday night game offers an extra rest day, which cracks the door open to reveal reasonable room for optimism. If he sits, Michael Wilson gets a slight bump while Greg Dortch and Zay Jones join the conversation as potential FLEX options. Xavier Weaver will reprise his Week 6 role as a poor man’s Marquez Valdes-Scantling and continue running an endless series of targetless routes.
Tight End
Trey McBride: Start, TE1
As great as Harrison, Jr. is, Trey McBride actually leads the Arizona Cardinals in targets. He is the TE4 on the season despite missing Week 4 with a concussion, and he’s the only Arizona Cardinals player to log six or more targets in every game he has played in. The TE position is a well-documented wasteland in 2024, but McBride is one of its few bright spots. He’s an every-week starter, regardless of the matchup.