Chargers@Titans
Game Info
Kickoff: Sunday, October 20th at 4:05 pm EST
Location: Nissan Stadium, Nashville, TN
Betting Odds: -1 TEN via Oddsshark
Network: CBS
Sleeper Spotlight: Mike Williams
Los Angeles Chargers
Quarterback:
- Philip Rivers (Sit)
Philip Rivers threw the ball plenty in a losing effort. Where have we heard that before? 26 completions on 44 attempts, 320 yards, two touchdowns, and two interceptions; your typical Rivers stat line. If you’re a fan of the Chargers, you’re disappointed, but in fantasy, you will take the 20+ point total. However, his upcoming matchup against the Titans is not the most favorable. Tennessee has given up the 9th-fewest fantasy points to opposing QB’s. His receivers can succeed if their target share is spread plentiful, yet Rivers himself can still have a weaker performance. He’s a recommended sit for this one.
Running Backs:
- Austin Ekeler (Start, RB2)
- Melvin Gordon (Start, FLEX)
As mentioned, it was a very pass-heavy game for the Chargers offense. I covered Steelers/Chargers last week and believed a solid game was in store for both Austin Ekeler and Melvin Gordon. Well, I was wrong. Ekeler only ran the ball five times for 14 yards, and Gordon eight for 18. It was a very quiet, nonproductive game on the ground for LA, though I see a stronger performance for the two against Tennessee. Ekeler is ‘bumped down’ to an RB2 standing, and Gordon a flex until he proves otherwise.
Wide Receivers/Tight End:
- Keenan Allen (Start, WR2)
- Mike Williams (Start, WR3/FLEX)
- Hunter Henry (Start, TE1 upside)
Your ROI of Keenan Allen has not been all that positive since his Week 3 blow up. In full-PPR formats, he’s totaled just about 21 points combined in his last three games with no touchdowns. He threw some shade on Twitter Monday morning regarding Sunday night’s loss to Pittsburgh. It’s safe to say Allen is frustrated with his target share, and rightfully so. For Rivers to have 44 targets, and Allen to receive only six looks is a problem; see Jameis Winston with Mike Evans.
If you have stock in Mike Williams, he’s had a very similar last two games. Week 5 against the Broncos he hauled in six catches for 74 yards, and Week 6 against the Steelers he went five for 72. The targets are there, as he’s had 10+ in the last two games, he just hasn’t found the end zone yet. I’ll go out on a limb and bill him as my ‘sleeper spotlight’ in this game, and predict he scores.
Limited? Not so fast says, Hunter Henry. In a turn of events all week, Henry found himself practicing and ramping up ahead of Sunday night’s game. Reports surfaced that while he would be active, you should expect him to be limited. Well, if you took the risk (coughIDidcough), you reaped the benefits. Henry caught eight of nine targets for 100 yards on the dot and two scores. He ran very fluid, without any signs of rust or have been returning from a knee injury. Consider him a must-start with true TE1 upside against the Titans.
Tennessee Titans
Quarterbacks:
- Ryan Tannehill (Sit)
- Marcus Mariota (Sit)
The Marcus Mariota era in Tennessee is trending towards a close. Mariota was benched in the third quarter of Sunday’s game against the Broncos, having completed only seven of 18 passes for a measly 63 yards, and two interceptions. Ryan Tannehill was summoned, and while he fared better – he wasn’t chasing much – the Titans still lost the game.
Head coach Mike Vrabel suggested he would determine who his QB will be, and Tuesday night he has declared Tannehill his starter. Even so, he’s not someone you’ll want to start.
Running Backs:
- Derrick Henry (Start, RB2/FLEX)
- Dion Lewis (Sit)
If you have been rolling with Derrick Henry, he did not help your case Week 6, having only racked up 28 yards on 15 carries. He’s been having a sufficient season until that point, and could get back on track against the Chargers, who just let James Conner score twice; once on the ground and the other through the air.
Dion Lewis is merely a handcuff to Henry, and even then you may not want to bother rostering him at this time. He’s been a real-life and fantasy non-factor.
Wide Receivers/Tight End:
- A.J. Brown (FLEX at best)
- Corey Davis (FLEX at best)
- Adam Humphries (Sit)
- Delanie Walker (Start if there isn’t another option)
Because of the quarterback uncertainty, it’s going to be hard to trust any Titans receiver. If you feel as if you have to start A.J. Brown or Corey Davis, they would be flex options at best. Brown has just six catches in his last two games, and Davis has nine. Adam Humphries is a sit for me; he has not lived up to the contract he was given this winter, but that, of course, could be because of the play of Mariota.
Delanie Walker was outspoken after Sunday’s loss regarding Mariota’s benching. He has not scored since Week 1 and has eight catches total in his last two games. If you have a better option at TE, I would suggest siding with him, otherwise, Walker isn’t the worst option out there.
-Matthew Cava (@cavaM_ Twitter & Reddit)
You have Justice Hill listed as the handcuff, so I’m wasting a roster spot on Gus?
If something happened to Ingram, I think it’s fair to say that it would be a committee approach to replace him. Depends if you would prefer the workhorse and TD role of Gus or the passing game role with Hill. As someone who drafted Hill everywhere, I have long since dropped him. Gus is probably the safer handcuff in my opinion, Hill maybe has more upside in a PPR league.
Might be worth noting Josh Gordon had one target after he left the game with a knee injury in second quarter.
Odd that you’re taking that stance on Murray. Everything that i’ve read has said that Kamara possibly has a high ankle sprain and is most likely not playing. Even with Kamara playing last week, Murray spit out 10 points in my half ppr league.
Great breakdown of the QBs in Week 7! It’s really helpful to see everything in one place. Thanks for the time and effort you put into this post!