San Diego Chargers 9-7
Welcome to the AFC West Week and the San Diego Chargers 2014 Fantasy Highs and Lows! Each week we will go division by division breaking down each team.
Very little of the Chargers’ off-season news has anything to do with fantasy football (most of the team news revolves around their stadium needs), so there is no need for an update. However, San Diego had a fantasy relevant year and we look forward to upgrades at a variety of positions before the start of the season.
Highs:
Antonio Gates
Early in the season I gave unconventional advice: trade for Antonio Gates. Why? Because Tight Ends are terrible and over the course of the season Gates averaged over 51 yards per game and scored 12 touchdowns in 16 games. And if you played him in Week 15 and Week 16, he scored 11.4 and 21.2 fantasy points respectively in standard scoring. If you play PPR, he caught 6 and 7 passes respectively and that’s good math.
The Emmergence of Dontrelle Inman
In Week 16 and 17 Dontrelle Inman, a former CFL star, went 7/79 and 5/79 in his only two games with a catch all season. Eddie Royal will be a free agent this offseason, so Inman could step right into a starting role for the 2015 season. Many predict that the Chargers will target a high impact receiver in free agency, but Inman will compete and if he keeps catching the ball, he will not be ignored.
Low:
Keenan Allen
Keenan Allen was unstartable the majority of the season. You got more value if you play PPR, but even then, he simply could not break away from coverage. He scored four touchdowns ALL SEASON and three of them were in Weeks 12 and 13 (when everyone had given up hope). To make matters worse, Allen broke his collarbone at the end of the season. We hope Allen gets well soon and also gets back to his lovely rookie numbers and go over 1,000 receiving yards in 2015.
What Happened to Rivers in December?
Prior to the 2014 season, Philip Rivers was 30-7 in December. The Chargers had developed a reputation for finishing their seasons strong. But this year they simply couldn’t get it together. Certainly, it wasn’t just Rivers. The team needs massive upgrades on the offensive line because leaving Philip Rivers unprotected resulted in a nagging rib injury. They also had problems running the ball. Which leads me to…
Ryan Mathews and the Return of the Injuries
In 2014 Mathews missed time due to knee, shoulder and ankle injuries. He only played in six outings all year. To make matters worse, the team lost Danny Woodhead for the season in Week 3. That left the door open for Branden Oliver and Donald Brown to take the lead… and other than a couple flash performances, the running game never hit it’s stride. Fantasy owners kept hoping someone, anyone, would emerge as a fantasy relevant back, but that never happened. For the Chargers to make a playoff run in 2015, they must establish the run.