Game Info
Kickoff: Sunday, October 1st 4:05 PM ET
Location: SoFi Stadium, Inglewood, California
Betting Odds: LAC -6, 47.5 total via PFF.com
Network: CBS
Writer: Matthew Cava (@cavaM_ on Twitter/X)
Las Vegas Raiders
Quarterback
Jimmy Garoppolo (Sit), Brian Hoyer (Sit)
Availability is the best ability, and Jimmy Garoppolo may not be fit to play against the Chargers this week. He’s officially in the concussion protocol after taking a helmet-to-helmet hit in the second half of Sunday night’s loss to the Steelers. He remained in the game, which probably didn’t help his case. The next options up if Jimmy G can’t go are Brian Hoyer or Aidan O’Connell. Neither will be a streaming option, even against a Chargers’ defense that ranks dead last in passing yards allowed to QBs per game so far this season.
Running Backs
Josh Jacobs (Start, RB2)
Is the rust starting to fade for Josh Jacobs? In the loss to Pittsburgh, he turned 17 carries into 62 yards on the ground, having also caught three of five targets for 18 yards. It was his best output of the season – which isn’t saying much as he hasn’t found the end zone yet – but his play through three games is trending upwards. He had 100% of the Vegas carries last week, and is set to face a Chargers defense that ranks 21st in fantasy points allowed to RB’s.
Wide Receivers/Tight Ends
Davante Adams (Start, WR1), Jakobi Meyers (Start, FLEX), Austin Hooper (Sit)
Have a night, Davante Adams. On 20 targets against the Steelers, he had 13 receptions for 172 yards and two touchdowns. Entering Week 4, Adams is the WR4 in full-PPR formats, but his stock could take a bit of a hit with Hoyer, or even potentially O’Connell under center. The plus side for either signal caller and Adams is that the Chargers are giving up the most fantasy points to WR this season thus far.
Jakobi Meyers returned from a concussion of his own, and he himself was targeted 12 times, having caught seven passes for 85 scoreless yards. Meyers is proving to be a solid option alongside Adams, in an otherwise underwhelming pass-catching core in Vegas. Austin Hooper has been a non-factor this season through three games; he wasn’t even targeted against Pittsburgh.
Los Angeles Chargers
Quarterback
Justin Herbert (Start, QB1)
The Chargers finally hit the win column in 2023, having sent the Vikings to 0-3 in a thrilling 28-24 victory; largely in part to Justin Herbert. Completing 40 of 47 attempts for 405 yards and three touchdowns, Herbert has 939 yards on the year and holds a 6:0 TD-to-INT ratio through three games. He’s the QB4 and should feast against a Vegas defense that ranks 31st in QB rating against thus far this season.
Running Back
Joshua Kelley (Sit)
Assuming Austin Ekeler remains sidelined with a Week 5 bye, Joshua Kelley remains to be the lead back for LA. The issue is, Kelley has done nothing since taking on RB1 duties in Week 2. Between Week 2 and 3, Kelley has turned 24 carries into 51 scoreless yards. It’s hard to drop him – especially if you roster Ekeler – but he’s not worthy of a start in your lineup if you can afford it. Especially when you realize this is a pass-first offense without Ekeler in the mix.
Wide Receivers/Tight Ends
Keenan Allen (Start, WR1), Joshua Palmer (Start if you must, FLEX), Quentin Johnston (Sit), Gerald Everett (Sit), Donald Parham Jr. (Sit)
Throw him the ball, and even let him throw the ball – Keenan Allen got it done against Minnesota. Catching 18 of 20 targets for 215 yards, Allen also threw a 49-yard touchdown to Mike Williams (before he was lost for the season to a torn ACL). The receptions and yards were career highs for Allen, and now without Williams in the mix, he’ll remain a top option against a Raiders defense that has allowed the 14th most fantasy points to WRs on the year.
Look for Joshua Palmer to have more of an uptick in targets over rookie Quentin Johnston, and if you must, Palmer could project to be a decent option at FLEX this week. Gerald Everett and Donald Parham Jr. should see a slight uptick in targets as well, but it’s hard to trust either to produce as middle-of-the-pack tight ends. And that’s even with Parham catching two targets for two touchdowns against the Vikings last week.