Tag: Josh Palmer

Fantasy Football start ’em, sit ’em: Week 4

Here’s a look at some tough start/sit decisions in Week 4 of fantasy football.

Entering the fourth week of fantasy football, managers can begin separating from their leagues while others look to gain ground in the race. Much of this will be determined by the start/sit decisions.

Doing start/sit articles can be a little challenging. The players featured on the list below should not be taken as “must starts” or “must sits.” Instead, these are more suggestions on what we believe managers should do with fringe players heading into the weekend. The choice is ultimately up to the manager.

Just because a player is listed as a “start” doesn’t mean he should be put in the lineup over the secure, bona fide studs. Vice versa for the “sits.” If there’s no better option on the waiver wire or the bench, a manager shouldn’t automatically sit the player. That’s why these can be tricky waters to navigate.

You also can check out our start and sit bench list for Week 4.

Here is a look at some of the tough start and sit decisions in fantasy football for Week 4:

Key takeaways from first half of Chargers vs. Chiefs

Highlighting what stood out from the first half of Chargers vs. Chiefs.

The Chargers currently lead the Chiefs at the halfway mark, 10-7.

Here are a few things that stood out in the first half of play:

Have a game, Mike Williams

After a quiet season opener, Williams is balling out – currently with six catches for 84 yards, including a 39-yard over Chiefs cornerback Rashad Fenton, who was called for defensive pass interference.

Stout against the run

The Chargers were really good against the run in the first half against the Raiders last weekend, and they have carried over that dominance. The Chiefs have gained just 30 yards on 10 carries (3.0 yards per carry).

Chiefs bailed out

On the Chiefs’ touchdown drive, the Chargers were hit with an illegal contact penalty on cornerback Bryce Callahan. In reality, Callahan was pushed to the ground by Chiefs wide receiver Marquez Valdez-Scantling. Had it not been called it would have been an interception by Nasir Adderley. Instead, Patrick Mahomes connected with Jerick McKinnon for a nine-yard touchdown a few plays later.

Defense is still dominant

Despite allowing a touchdown, you can see why the Chargers invested heavily in the defense and made Derwin James the highest-paid safety in the NFL. They are compressing the pocket, keeping contain and getting interior pressure to minimize Mahomes from working his magic – he has 98 passing yards. The coverage is tight down the field. Players are swarming to the football.

10 sleepers to play in fantasy football for Week 2

Take a look at these fantasy football sleepers for Week 2.

The first week of fantasy football has come and gone. Regardless of whether you started with a win or a loss, there is still plenty of season left to get through.

Finding sleepers each week will inherently become more difficult as roles get settled and players find consistency. But for Week 2, there are still a number of players who could outperform their expected value.

We will be using The Huddle’s weekly PPR projections and rankings as a reference. In order to qualify as a sleeper, we are taking a look at quarterbacks ranked outside the top 12, running backs and wide receivers ranked outside the top 24, and tight ends ranked outside the top 10.

We’ve already taken a look at the top waiver wire targets and streaming options. Here are 10 sleepers to play in fantasy football for Week 2:

Chargers’ Keenan Allen unlikely to play vs. Chiefs, Brandon Staley confident in wide receiver room

The Chargers are planning to play without WR Keenan Allen on Thursday night.

The Chargers are expected to be without their top wide receiver when they take on the Chiefs on Thursday.

Keenan Allen suffered a hamstring injury in the second quarter of the season opener against the Raiders and did not return.

On Tuesday, ahead of the matchup with Kansas City, head coach Brandon Staley gave an update and said that “it’s not looking great” for Allen regarding his status.

Before exiting the game, Allen posted four catches for 66 yards.

After Allen left, Los Angeles’ passing offense still managed to be productive – quarterback Justin Herbert finished the game 26-of-34 passing for 279 yards and three touchdowns.

Herbert spread the wealth, connecting with nine different targets. But the pass-catcher who had the most significant impact was DeAndre Carter, who caught three passes for 64 yards and one touchdown.

As it stands, the Chargers have four healthy wide receivers on the roster. Whether or not they will promote one from the practice squad remains to be seen. If they chose to do so, they have three options: Michael Bandy, Jason Moore Jr., and Joe Reed.

“We’re still working through that for the next couple of days. We can decide to go with four wideouts, bring somebody else up in another position, or we could flex a receiver,” Staley said. “We’re still working through the initial stages of the plan, but I do think that we have receivers who are capable of being elevated and performing well for us.”

If Allen is sidelined, Mike Williams and Josh Palmer are expected to step up in place of him. Williams saw just three targets, finishing with two catches for 10 yards, while Palmer posted three catches for five yards on four targets last Sunday.

The Chiefs defense held Cardinals quarterback Kyler Murray to just 179 passing yards in Week 1.

Underdogs to watch in Week 1 of the 2022 NFL season

Touchdown Wire’s Laurie Fitzpatrick goes to the film to predict some underdogs bound to shine in their Week 1 NFL matchups

As the 2022 NFL regular season gets underway, there are a few under dogs who are bound to stand out in week one.

It’s no fun to point out the Pro Bowl players or elite starters who have already made a name for themselves. Instead, there are some under-the-radar starters and second-string players who will have a chance this week to prove their dominance. Whether it’s a favorable matchup versus their opponent or continuing their performance from preseason, these are a few guys to keep our eyes on.

Let’s go to the film and check them out!

Chargers’ reasons for optimism vs. Raiders in Week 1

Here are four reasons for optimism for the Chargers as they face the Raiders on Sunday afternoon.

Yesterday, I brought up four reasons to be concerned about the Chargers’ season opener against the Raiders on Sunday.

Let’s flip the script.

Here are some reasons to be optimistic about the rivalry game:

Reinforcements on the defensive line

Last season’s Week 18 game against the Raiders was marred by the sight of running back Josh Jacobs gashing the Chargers up the middle over and over again. That loss knocked Los Angeles out of the playoffs, forcing them to respond in kind. With at least two new starters on the defensive line – Sebastian Joseph-Day and Austin Johnson – as well as Morgan Fox and Otito Ogbonnia, two potential rotational pieces, the Bolts figure to be a much-improved run defense. That should allow them to commit fewer bodies to the run, further clogging passing lanes for quarterback Derek Carr.

Khalil Mack’s talent

In the pass rush department, the Chargers sometimes struggled to generate pressure when Joey Bosa was shut down. This time around, double-teaming Bosa is less of an option. With Mack rushing from the other side, one of LA’s studs will be one-on-one with the Raiders’ offensive line. That line, it must be said, looks rough on paper. That could force Las Vegas to keep an extra blocker in during passing situations, or at least use an extra player to chip Bosa or Mack. Carr is historically a much worse quarterback when under pressure, and the threat of Bosa and Mack could make him quite jittery in the pocket.

Favorable wide receiver matchups

The Raiders are thin in the secondary, with 2021 fifth-rounder Nate Hobbs and former Colt Rock Ya-Sin listed as their starters to open the season. That should open opportunities for wide receivers Keenan Allen and Mike Williams to keep the ball moving. Josh Palmer should also have a big role, in which case Allen will likely operate out of the slot. We’ve seen Justin Herbert’s chemistry with all three receivers build in training camp, and with a weak secondary in Vegas, the Chargers’ offense shouldn’t have many issues driving down the field, at least in theory.

Year 2 in the offense

One of the main themes in training camp from the Chargers was the belief that the offense was going to open up this year with additional comfort in the system. Herbert’s sophomore season was, of course, phenomenal, but there seems to be a feeling that his success came from an almost robot-like precision when operating within the confines of the offense. This season, Herbert will almost certainly be given more freedom to be a creator rather than offensive coordinator Joe Lombardi’s superpowered on-field avatar. While that may lead to a few kinks early in the season, Herbert has shown that he has the talent to warrant that kind of trust.

Projecting Chargers’ Week 1 offensive depth chart

Here’s who we expect to start on offense for the Chargers entering the 2022 season.

The Chargers have until September 11th to get their Week 1 depth chart sorted out before their matchup with the Raiders.

Here’s my projection for the offensive side:

8 takeaways from the Chargers’ initial 53-man roster

Highlighting what stood out from the Los Angeles Chargers’ initial 53-man roster for the 2022 season.

The Los Angeles Chargers released their initial 53-man roster for the 2022 season on Tuesday afternoon.

Here are some takeaways from things that stood out:

Chargers’ initial 53-man roster for the 2022 NFL season

The Chargers have finalized the full 53-man roster to start the 2022 season. Take a look at each player on the active roster.

The Chargers have announced their initial 53-man roster heading into the 2022 season, which kicks off against the Raiders next Sunday, Sept. 11 at 1:25 pm PT.

Los Angeles can still make additional roster moves in the coming days via waiver claims and free agent signings. They’ll also begin constructing a 16-man practice squad.

Offense

Quarterback (3): Justin Herbert, Chase Daniel, Easton Stick

Running back (4): Austin Ekeler, Joshua Kelley, Isaiah Spiller, Larry Rountree III

Fullback (1): Zander Horvath

Wide receiver (5): Keenan Allen, Mike Williams, Joshua Palmer, DeAndre Carter, Jalen Guyton

Tight end (3): Gerald Everett, Donald Parham, Tre’ McKitty

Offensive line (9): Rashawn Slater, Matt Feiler, Corey Linsley, Zion Johnson, Trey Pipkins, Storm Norton, Jamaree Salyer, Will Clapp, Brenden Jaimes

Defense

Defensive line (6): Sebastian Joseph-Day, Austin Johnson, Morgan Fox, Otito Ogbonnia, Jerry Tillery, Breiden Fehoko

Edge rusher (3): Joey Bosa, Khalil Mack, Chris Rumph II

Linebacker (5): Kyle Van Noy, Drue Tranquill, Kenneth Murray Jr., Troy Reeder, Nick Niemann, Amen Ogbongbemiga

Cornerback (6): JC Jackson, Asante Samuel Jr., Bryce Callahan, Michael Davis, Ja’Sir Taylor, Deane Leonard

Safety (4): Derwin James Jr., Nasir Adderley, JT Woods, Alohi Gilman

Specialists (3): K Dustin Hopkins, P J.K. Scott, LS Josh Harris

Chargers waiving WR Michael Bandy

The Chargers are letting go of their preseason standout.

One of the stars of the preseason will now have to wait and see what his NFL future holds.

As part of the Chargers’ cut down to 53 roster spots, wide receiver Michael Bandy was waived Tuesday, per NFL Network’s Tom Pelissero.

It’s a move that likely indicates the Chargers will only keep five receivers on the initial 53: Keenan Allen, Mike Williams, Joshua Palmer, DeAndre Carter, and Jalen Guyton.

Bandy was second in the league in preseason receiving yards with 172 in three games.

He showed NFL-caliber route running from the slot, but his lack of versatility hurt his chances of earning a roster spot. Allen, Palmer, Carter, and Guyton can all play inside or outside, leaving Bandy without much of a role on offense.

On special teams, Bandy would have been the backup returner behind Carter, but filling that role during the preseason left him without many opportunities to show the staff he could impact the game as a gunner.

Bandy will now have to wait to see if another team claims him on waivers. It’s a strong possibility for teams needing slot-specific receivers, especially with the way Bandy played this preseason. If he does make it through waivers, expect him to be one of Los Angeles’ first practice squad additions.

The Chargers have until 1 pm PT to finish trimming their roster to 53 players.