NFL training camps are open, and for millions of people worldwide their fantasy football preparation has begun in earnest. Here at Sports World News we will break down all 32 NFL teams in terms of their fantasy value. Readers will find the must-own players in every format, the sleepers in specific formats, and hidden gems only necessary for those in very deep leagues.
Today's preview will be on the San Diego Chargers. As always, average draft position (ADP) is pulled from FantasyPros.com.
Eli Manning Deserves More Money Than Philip Rivers
Must Owns
Melvin Gordon, RB (ADP: 33): Gordon ran for more than 2,500 yards last season at Wisconsin, and he briefly held the NCAA single-game rushing record. Against Nebraska he rushed for 408 yards in three quarters. He scored 32 total touchdowns. He was a stud in college, and it should translate nicely to the NFL. The Chargers don’t have much competition to stand in his way either; they have good depth at RB, the guys behind Gordon are role players.
Keenan Allen, WR (ADP: 55): Allen is going ahead of some pretty consistent receivers, and it makes some sense based on his age, but it’s terrifying based on his production. Allen started twice as many games in 2014 as he did the year before, received more targets, and put up half the production. That’s a terrible sign for a young player, and even worse, QB Philip Rivers is known for spreading the ball. Being the No. 1 in San Diego means less than it does in other places, and Allen is being overdrafted.
Oakland Raiders Fantasy Preview
Sleepers (Best Format)
Philip Rivers, QB, Standard (ADP: 96) Rivers is an elite QB2, and he has the upside to finish as a top-10 fantasy QB. If Allen goes back to his rookie form Rivers will outperform his numbers from a year ago, and if TE Ladarius Green can break out in the four games Antonio Gates misses due to suspension, the offense could be great.
Antonio Gates, TE, Standard (ADP: 121): He’ll be out the first four weeks, but once he comes back there isn’t much catching up to do. He and Rivers have been doing this for years, and even though he’s pretty old, he’s good for some solid TD numbers. He has 12 in 2014.
Danny Woodhead, RB, PPR (ADP: 157): Woodhead missed most of last year with injuries, but in 2013 he was shockingly good. He scored eight total TDs and proved to be a highly effective PPR play. Woodhead caught nearly five passes a game; that won’t happen again unless Gordon gets hurt, but he should be a fine FLEX most weeks in PPR.
Ladarius Green, TE, Standard (ADP: 239): Green’s ADP should rise as more people realize Gates is suspended. He is a hell of an athlete, and there’s nowhere for the Bolts to turn at TE until Gates is back. Maybe Green’s just not a great football player, but he is super cheap and should have job security.
Deep Finds (Best Format)
Branden Oliver, RB, PPR (ADP: 224): At this point Oliver is purely a handcuff, but if Gordon went down Oliver, not Woodhead, would be the primary ball carrier. He can catch the ball a bit and he’s not bad in short yardage. A worthy investment for Gordon owners.
Malcom Floyd, WR, Standard (ADP: 200): Floyd is one of the least sexy names you can draft, but he consistently delivers around 850 yards receiving and 5-6 TDs. He’s a nice flier on any given bye week.
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