Sit/Start Week 9: Reviewing All the Fantasy Relevant Players In Every Single Game

Packers@Chargers

Game Info

Kickoff: Sunday, November 3rd at 4:25 pm EST

Location: Dignity Health Sports Park, Carson, CA

Betting Odds: LAC +3, 46 Total via Oddsshark

Network: CBS

Sleeper Spotlight: Jamaal Williams

 

Green Bay Packers

 

Quarterback:

• Aaron Rodgers (Start/ QB1)

 

Aaron Rodgers has been the overall fantasy QB1 over the past two weeks. So far, the Chargers have been surprisingly pretty good against quarterbacks, allowing 13.6 fantasy points per game to the position. The Chargers are also ranked sixth in the league in passing yards allowed per game. It should be interesting to see what happens here considering the matchup and how well Rodgers has been playing lately. I believe Rodgers will have continued success this week in Los Angeles.

 

Running Backs:

• Aaron Jones (Start/ RB1)
• Jamaal Williams (Start/ Flex with RB2 upside)

 

Aaron Jones has been the best pass-catcher on the Packers for the past two weeks with three receiving touchdowns over that span. Like I’ve said before, Jones is still the go-to guy in the backfield and fantasy players need to keep him in their lineups even with Jamaal Williams getting consistent work. Last week, Jones scored more than 40 fantasy points for the second time this year. The Chargers’ defense is bottom-10 in rushing yards allowed per game. Play Jones with confidence. Given the matchup and his workload, Williams should be capable of another RB2 performance this week. 

 

Wide Receivers/ Tight Ends:

• Davante Adams (Start if active/ WR2)
• Allen Lazard (Flex consideration without Adams)
• Geronimo Allison (Sit)
• Marquez Valdes-Scantling (Sit/ boom-or-bust)
• Jimmy Graham (TE2)

 

Davante Adams could be eyeing a return to action this week. He should be started if he’s active, even against the Chargers’ sixth-ranked pass defense. Nothing has changed between now and Allen Lazard’s big game in Week 6 against Detroit. He has been receiving the same target share for the past three weeks, he just isn’t finding the end zone and Rodgers has had success spreading the ball around in Adams’ absence. Lazard will have flex consideration at most if Adams is inactive (and I wouldn’t bother if the latter is active). 

 

Geronimo Allison has limited receptions for most of this season and isn’t likely to put up a respectable fantasy performance without the help of a touchdown. Marquez Valdes-Scantling will be tough to trust this year with his up-and-down performances. He scored more than 20 fantasy points on just two catches two weeks ago then just about one fantasy point from one catch last week. It will be difficult to trust him from week-to-week. It’s beginning to feel like Jimmy Graham will either put up a disappointing TE2 dud or a solid TE1 performance with a touchdown. A tight end depending on a touchdown for fantasy relevance isn’t exactly anything new. The Chargers are currently 12th in the league in fantasy points allowed to tight ends. Graham likely won’t have another TE1 performance without finding the end zone, but all it takes is one target sometimes. 

 

Los Angeles Chargers

 

Quarterback:

• Philip Rivers (QB2)

 

Philip Rivers is coming off a bad performance last week in which he barely put up 10 fantasy points against the Bears. This week’s matchup isn’t much better. The Packers are allowing 14.6 fantasy points per game to opposing quarterbacks but Green Bay has been giving up plenty of air yards lately and Rivers should have a shot at success in this one if he’s accurate enough. The Chargers may go down early and need to throw the ball more, boosting Rivers’ upside a bit. It should also be interesting to see how this offense looks after the firing of OC Ken Whisenhunt. I think Rivers will do better than last week but still won’t reach QB1 territory. 

 

Running Backs:

• Melvin Gordon (Start/ RB2)
• Austin Ekeler (Flex)

 

Melvin Gordon has certainly taken his time heating up, finally totaling his first double-digit fantasy performance last week against the Bears. He should have plenty of opportunities going up against a Packers defense that’s bottom-10 in rushing yards allowed per game. He should be capable of an RB2 performance, even with Austin Ekeler eating into his work. Even though his usage took a bit of a dip last week, Ekeler should still be a suitable flex fill-in for your fantasy team. He still found a way into the endzone last week with the limited work but I’m a bit concerned about his usage, especially after the Whisenhunt firing. Ekeler only has a 13.9% target share since Gordon and Hunter Henry came back.

 

Wide Receivers/ Tight Ends:

• Mike Williams (Flex)
• Keenan Allen (Start/ WR2 upside)
• Hunter Henry (Start/ TE1)

 

If I’m not mistaken, Mike Williams has yet to record a touchdown or a fantasy performance higher than WR2 this season. He should get plenty of looks against a middling Packers pass defense, but I can’t trust him with many productions until he shows us it can be done. Keenan Allen looked like he would be automatic this year after a fantastic start, but he hasn’t had a touchdown or recorded anything better than a flex performance in over a month. He could have some success against an exploitable Packers secondary though. If Keenan is on your team you likely need to start him anyway. Although his fantasy performance was mediocre, Hunter Henry still had a respectable target share considering how little Rivers threw the ball last week. If the targets are there, Henry is immediately an elite tight end option. Green Bay is currently bottom-six against tight ends. Henry should be started with confidence this week. 

 

–Ryan Kruse (@ryanpkruse)