2024 Arizona Cardinals Fantasy Preview The Arizona Cardinals have now produced back-to-back four-win seasons. Kyler Murray returns, which is excellent news for the Cardinals, who finished 24th in points per game and 26th in passing yards last season. Murray will […]
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2024 Los Angeles Chargers Fantasy Preview After finishing 5-12, changes were evident. Los Angeles fired GM Tom Telesco and head coach Brandon Staley and then went after Jim Harbaugh, the biggest name on the coaching market. If Harbaugh’s previous stints […]
2024 Los Angeles Chargers Fantasy Preview
After finishing 5-12, changes were evident. Los Angeles fired GM Tom Telesco and head coach Brandon Staley and then went after Jim Harbaugh, the biggest name on the coaching market. If Harbaugh’s previous stints at Stanford, San Fransisco, and Michigan have taught us anything, his teams are built to play the trenches and run the ball. Adding Greg Roman as an offensive coordinator ensures that this Chargers offense will emphasize the run game, so the more than 320 vacated targets may not matter here.
With a change in offensive philosophy, the value of long-time Charger wide receivers has shifted in this new offense. Keenan Allen and Mike Williams have been replaced in the draft by promising new additions. Second-round selection Ladd McConkey, and a pair of seventh-round picks, Brendan Rice and Cornelius Johnson, bring fresh talent and potential to the team’s offense.
Looking at the Chargers’ current depth chart, Justin Herbert’s top three options are Joshua Palmer, who had 38 receptions and 581 yards last season, second-year wideout Quentin Johnson, who had just 431 receiving yards and 38 receptions after being selected in the first round of the NFL draft last year, and Ladd McConkey. McConkey may overtake Palmer and Johnson as Herbert’s favorite target immediately.
In games where Herbert didn’t have Keenan Allen and Mike Williams, he still found success by spreading the ball around. Herbert got all his receivers involved by not having to funnel his targets into his top options. However, don’t expect him to put up top-five fantasy production this season with the offense that Roman likes to run. Herbert completed 297 of his 456 attempts for 3,134 yards in 13 games last year. Suppose you draft Herbert as your first quarterback. In that case, you must give him the Kirk Cousins treatment by adding another solid quarterback option later in the draft and potentially playing the better matchups.
Harbaugh is going to love RB Gus Edwards. His 13 rushing scores last season were tied for the third most by any back, and he averaged 4.1 yards per carry, which was the first time in his career he had averaged less than five yards per carry. LA also brought in J.K. Dobbins, who is recovering from a season-ending Achilles injury. Keep an eye on sixth-round Troy RB Kimani Vidal, who could emerge as a serious dark horse in this backfield.
At tight end, neither Will Dissly nor Hayden Hurst offers much fantasy value, as the duo combined for just 356 receiving yards on 35 receptions. If you have to draft one of the two, Hurst could be a nice tight-end two with some upside.
While Justin Herbert remains one of the top young quarterbacks in the NFL, his fantasy prospects are less certain. With Jim Harbaugh and Greg Roman running the offense, the 2024 Chargers will be far less reliant on the pass. In Herbert’s first four years, the team ranked first in plays per game. Harbaugh and Roman’s 49ers (2011-2014) ranked 31st in pace and no higher than 29th in pass attempts. Additionally, a mass exodus of veteran pass catchers is further proof of the potential lack of volume. Herbert did compile a 110.8 QB Rating in play-action in 2023, so he’s capable of being solid if the Chargers can establish the run. But he’s no longer a locked-in QB1. ADVICE: High-end QB2…
2024 Las Vegas Raiders Fantasy Preview Rumors ahead of the 2024 NFL draft speculated that new head coach Antonio Pierce and the Las Vegas Raiders were in the market for a rookie quarterback after experimenting with Jimmy Garappolo and Aiden […]
2024 Las Vegas Raiders Fantasy Preview
Rumors ahead of the 2024 NFL draft speculated that new head coach Antonio Pierce and the Las Vegas Raiders were in the market for a rookie quarterback after experimenting with Jimmy Garappolo and Aiden O’Connell last season. Unfortunately, they were unable to land the targets in which they coveted. Fortunately, though, they brought in a quarterback via free agency who has plenty of what Pierce is looking for in Gardner Minshew.
Wherever Minshew goes, a rookie quarterback is sure to follow. Last year, the Colts drafted Anthony Richardson after signing Minshew. Technically, Jalen Hurts was an Eagle before Minshew, but the Jaguars did draft Trevor Lawrence to replace Minshew in Jacksonville.
Minshew needs to get the credit he deserves. In 37 career starts, over 49 games played, he has thrown more touchdown passes (59) and fewer interceptions (24) than the generational Trevor Lawrence. That is the kind of production from the quarterback position Davante Adams was not getting from Garappolo or O’Connell last season.
Regardless of whoever lines up under center, Adams is a wide receiver you can trust when selecting at the start of the second round of your fantasy drafts. While the 31-year-old receiver is entering his 11th season, he is still producing. Adams has posted five 1000-yard seasons over the last six years, including 1,144 yards on 103 receptions in 2023. All that production resulted in a fantasy WR11 fantasy finish a season ago.
After Adams, it becomes interesting. Jakobi Meyers had some excellent fantasy value as a flex option heading into the draft. However, the Raiders’ selection of Georgia tight end Brock Bowers puts a cap on Meyers’ fantasy potential entering the 2024 season. Last year, Meyers averaged 13.1 fantasy points per game. But with Bowers’ ability to play in the slot, it’s hard to envision Meyers having that kind of success when asked to line out wide.
Bowers will likely be better for the Raiders than he will for your fantasy teams. In three seasons at Georgia, he finished with 2,538 yards and 26 touchdowns on 175 passes. Bowers is an excellent complement for Adams, as he finished last season with 56 receptions, six touchdowns, and 714 yards after returning in October from ankle surgery.
RB Zamir White finds himself well-positioned to have a top-15-caliber season at the running back position. From weeks 15 through 18, White would average 23.3 touches while churning out 114.3 per game, finishing as the RB12 in fantasy over that stretch. White also would finish sixth in yards after contact per attempt, 13th in explosive run rate, and 17th in success rate. White is an intriguing mid-round target.
The Raiders plan to have Gardner Minshew and Aidan O’Connell compete for the team’s starting role this summer. “That’s the plan, to have both those guys really compete through the offseason program, but more so in training camp, and we’ll see how it plays out,” said GM Tom Telesco. Minshew is considered the favorite to win that role. He was slightly more effective than O’Connell and signed the contract of a player expected to start. Regardless of who wins, Las Vegas will be a run-first offense under Antonio Pierce and Luke Getsy. The Raiders QB spot should be avoided until there is some clarity. ADVICE: Only draftable in deep Superflex leagues.
ADVICE: O’Connell passing metrics were very similar to Gardner Minshew last season. He’ll be given every opportunity to beat out the newcomer in the preseason. The ceiling isn’t very high, but whoever wins the Raiders’ starting job can be a weekly streamer…
