It is fascinating how many fantasy-relevant players the Kansas City Chiefs have had this season. It has also been equally as frustrating because so many of them have been boom or bust. The Los Angeles Chargers have once again been bitten by the injury bug, limiting their fantasy potential.
Let’s take a look at who to start and sit for this primetime matchup.
*Projections from our colleagues at The Huddle
QB Patrick Mahomes
Mahomes may be the hottest player in the NFL right now. He leads all quarterbacks in passing yards and touchdowns and is top five in QB rating and yards per completion. He has also thrown for over 300 yards in each of his last four games.
Even on the occasion when the Chiefs run the ball effectively, Mahomes still gets plenty of volume as he has no less than 34 pass attempts in every game this season. He should be in line for another good week facing a middle of the pack Chargers’ pass defense.
RBs Isiah Pacheco/Jerick McKinnon/Clyde Edwards-Helaire
Pacheco saw a season-high in attempts (16) and yards (82) last week. He has now led the Chiefs in carries each of the last three weeks, seemingly earning the trust of the Chiefs’ coaching staff to be the lead back.
Pacheco isn’t involved in the passing game, but if he can consistently get 15-20 carries, he could be a solid flex play. The Chargers have the 30th-ranked run defense which could boost Pacheco to RB2 status this week.
McKinnon hasn’t really contributed as a rusher this season, but he gets most of the snaps during passing situations. He has six receptions in each of his last two games but has had no more than three in any other game. McKinnon could be a flex play in deep leagues, but there’s bust potential.
Edwards-Helaire has been slowly phased out of the Chiefs’ offense and hit rock bottom last week, recording zero touches. He was targeted twice in the passing game but dropped them both, which certainly doesn’t do him any favors to get back in the good graces of the coaching staff. If you’re still hanging on to Edwards-Helaire, it’s time to drop him.
WRs JuJu Smith-Schuster/Mecole Hardman/Marquez Valdes-Scantling/Kadarius Toney
Smith-Schuster is in the NFL’s concussion protocol and is out for this game. He has emerged as a legitimate WR1 over the past few weeks and is a must-start when he returns to action.
Valdes-Scantling continued his every-other-week production last week, racking up 60 yards and catching his first touchdown pass of the season. If you go off patterns, he’s due to have a quiet game this week. With Smith-Schuster and Hardman out, however, Valdes-Scantling is a solid WR2 play this week.
Hardman missed last week’s game with an abdominal illness and is now on injured reserve, which will keep him sidelined for at least four weeks. It’s a shame because he was becoming a red zone machine, scoring five touchdowns over a three-game span.
Toney has been the talk of the town since being acquired by K.C. He has flashed his speed, ball skills and even blocking ability in a short amount of time. He seems to be learning quickly and was able to find the endzone last week. He is certainly worth a roster stash and with Smith-Schuster and Hardman out, Toney is a worthy flex play against the Chargers.
TE Travis Kelce
Kelce continues to pace the tight end position in receptions, yards and touchdowns. The game in which he struggled the most this season came against the Chargers back in Week 2, where he caught five passes for 51 yards.
There’s nothing horrible about that stat line, especially by tight end standards, but it is his least productive game of 2022. In recent seasons, however, Kelce has been very good against the Chargers, recording at least 90 receiving yards in four of his last five games against them.
Chiefs' defense/special teams
The Chiefs have played some good defense over the past few weeks, but there are some asterisks. The quarterbacks they’ve played have been subpar and they are struggling to force turnovers. The K.C. defense has just three interceptions on the season, the second lowest in the league.
The front seven is carrying the unit with 27 sacks and the fifth-ranked run defense. If Keenan Allen and Mike Williams play, the Chiefs’ defense is better left on the bench. If they don’t play, it could be a decent low-end option.
K Harrison Butker
The odds are good of this being a high-scoring game, which is enough to make Butker a good starting option. Owners may be hesitant, however, given his recent struggles. Since returning from injury in Week 6, Butker has missed two extra points and three field goals.
On top of that, the Chiefs’ offense has been extremely red zone efficient as of late, limiting the number of field goal attempts for Butker. Despite that, Butker has a great career track record and will produce most weeks due to the Chiefs’ high-powered offense.
QB Justin Herbert
While he’s not playing poorly, Herbert has naturally struggled without his top two receivers in Keenan Allen and Mike Williams. Fortunately for Herbert, both could return for this game, which should give a boost to his stats.
In his last matchup with K.C. Herbert threw for 334 yards and three touchdowns, which was his best fantasy performance of the season. In a game that could turn into a shootout, Herbert is a very good start this week.
RB Austin Ekeler
Ekeler is arguably the best receiving back in the NFL, leading all running backs in receptions and receiving touchdowns. He hasn’t been dynamic as a rusher with his 4.3 yards per carry average but does have six rushing touchdowns.
He caught nine passes against the Chiefs in Week 2 and should greatly benefit from Allen’s and Williams’ returns. Ekeler is an automatic start regardless of the matchup.
WRs Keenan Allen/Mike Williams/Joshua Palmer
Coach Brandon Staley gave Allen and Williams the dreaded game-time decision designation for Sunday night. Both players practiced throughout the week, so odds are that they will play barring an unforeseen setback. Williams is absolutely a must-start as he leads all Charger receivers in receptions and yards despite having missed three games.
It’s a little more complicated for Allen, who has only played in two games this season. He’s obviously a proven receiver, but it might be a safer bet to keep him on the bench this week as he eases his way back into action.
Palmer has had a couple of nice games this season but hasn’t had a lot of week-to-week consistency. His production will take a hit with Williams and Allen returning, but Palmer is worth a start in deep leagues since this game could be a shootout and the Chiefs are allowing the fifth-most fantasy points per game to receivers.
TE Gerald Everett
Everett had been producing steadily until a groin injury slowed him down last week. He should play in this game, but his injury and the potential return of Allen and Williams limit his upside.
With how thin the tight end position is, Everett is still a decent option if you don’t have any better options. He had one of his better games of the season against the Chiefs with six catches for 71 yards.
Chargers' defense/special teams
The Chargers defense is ravaged by injuries, particularly in its front seven. It can’t stop the run and is middling against the pass. Combine those factors with a matchup against the elite Chiefs’ offense, there is no way you should consider starting the L.A. defense this week.
K Cameron Dicker
Dicker has done a great job filling in for starter Dustin Hopkins, connecting on all five of his field goal and all three of his extra-point attempts. Dicker was also 2/2 on field goal opportunities with the Philadelphia Eagles earlier this season.
Three of his field goals have come from over 40 yards, showing his impressive range. L.A. should be able to get the ball in field goal range more often than not in this game, making Dicker a good start this week.
