Game Info
Kickoff: Sunday, December 27th at 4:05 PM ET
Location: SoFi Stadium, Inglewood, CA
Betting Odds: LAC -3, 48.5 total via Oddsshark
Network: CBS
Denver Broncos
Quarterback
Drew Lock (Sit, QB2)
An abysmal showing from Drew Lock once again last week had Broncos fans staring down the fact that their team needs to select a quarterback in the upcoming draft – a familiar conundrum. Lock just doesn’t have what it takes to progress as a starter and looks to have learned nothing from his mistakes this year. Despite a favorable matchup against the Chargers defense, Lock is a tough sell in your final fantasy contest of the year. Look elsewhere.
Running Backs
Melvin Gordon (Start, RB2), Philip Lindsay (Sit, RB2)
As bad as the quarterback play has been, the team has struggled with this miserable run attack. Melvin Gordon did at least show signs of life last week, running in 2 scores and looking more like the back he was in his prime with the Chargers. A revenge game provides the perfect tonic for a strong RB2 performance. Philip Lindsay actually got the start over Gordon and totaled an equal share in carries – much like the rest of this season, however, Lindsay couldn’t find a way to be effective with his workload. Teams seemed to have figured him out after a promising debut season.
Wide Receivers/Tight Ends
Jerry Jeudy (Sit, FLEX), Tim Patrick (Sit, FLEX), KJ Hamler (Sit, FLEX), Noah Fant (Start, TE2)
There is little to get excited about watching the Broncos passing game without Courtland Sutton on the field. Lock has only thrown for over 300 yards once this season so opportunities are limited. 5 receivers totaled fewer than 20 yards last week, not a promising sign for this awful passing attack. Only Noah Fant seems to hold solid TE2 fantasy relevance.
Los Angeles Chargers
Quarterback
Justin Herbert (Start, QB1)
It is more likely than not that the stumbling win over the Raiders last week secured Justin Herbert the Offensive Rookie of the Year award. Herbert is a top 10 fantasy quarterback and would likely be in the top 6 if he had started the Chargers opening game of the season. In a polar opposite to Lock, Herbert has thrown for over 300 yards in 7 of his 13 starts and currently has a 27:10 TD: INT ratio for the season. The Broncos have given up the 9th most fantasy points to quarterbacks this season. Herbert is once again a stellar option for your fantasy final.
Running Backs
Austin Ekeler (Start, RB1), Kalen Ballage (Sit)
The Broncos rank in the bottom 5 in rushing yards-per-game and rushing TDs allowed so Austin Ekeler should be in line for a big day to reward those who have rostered and have missed out on 6 games of solid RB1 production this season. After being on a pitch count last week due to a quad issue, Ekeler ceded some carries to Kalen Ballage, who hawked a touchdown in relief. Ballage is usually only there to give Ekeler a breather, however, and that should be the case again this weekend.
Wide Receivers/Tight Ends
Keenan Allen (Start, WR2 if active), Mike Williams (Sit, FLEX), Jalen Guyton (Start, FLEX if Allen is inactive), Tyron Johnson (Sit, FLEX), Hunter Henry (Start, TE1)
Keenan Allen is the centerpiece of this offense and was held to just 1 catch last week playing through a hamstring problem. He is questionable for this week and that is a huge blow to those who are looking to him as a WR1 for their fantasy championship. He is also irreplaceable which means it is tough to pick someone who could replicate his production. Mike Williams is a completely different type of receiver and the production ended up being shared equally with Hunter Henry, promising 2nd-year wideout Jalen Guyton and rookie Tyron Jonhson. Henry is a solid TE1 play this week and if you are looking for a risky FLEX option with a huge ceiling then the most talented of these complementary receivers is Guyton – he was electric in the win against the Raiders but also made some rookie-type mistakes.
-Benjamin Haller (@benjaminhaller1 on Twitter)