Chargers vs. Raiders Picks, Lineup Tips for Daily Fantasy FanDuel, DraftKings

Week 14 finished with a bang, as the Baltimore Ravens and Cleveland Browns engaged in arguably the most thrilling back-and-forth contest of 2020. Monday night's game featured plenty of excitement and, of course, plenty of daily fantasy sports (DFS) standouts.

Ravens quarterback Lamar Jackson, for example, rushed for 124 yards and two touchdowns, while throwing for 164 and a score. Browns running back Nick Chubb racked up 103 scrimmage yards and two touchdowns.

While Thursday night's game between the Los Angeles Chargers and Las Vegas Raiders may not provide quite as much late-game drama as the Week 14 finale did, there should still be a good bit of back-and-forth and plenty of high-end DFS producers.

Here you'll find the best DFS picks for the Week 15 opener, along with some other lineup tips for Thursday Night Football.

Chargers vs. Raiders Matchup Primer

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Division rivalry games often make for intriguing matchups, even when the two participants are playing for different goals. The 4-9 Chargers have been eliminated from playoff contention and are looking to play spoiler, while the 7-6 Raiders are hoping to stay alive in the playoff race.

Expect Las Vegas to be the more desperate team here. The Raiders will likely exhaust all avenues to keep their playoff hopes afloat—which is precisely why they recently replaced defensive coordinator Paul Guenther with Rod Marinelli.

Will the switch provide a defensive spark? Perhaps. Marinelli appears to be looking for a more aggressive approach to his unit's performance.

"Quick, fast and physical," he said, per Levi Edwards of the team's official website. "That's what I keep preaching and we'll see."

Las Vegas has lost three of its last four games and has surrendered 150 points in that span. The Chargers, meanwhile, have won two of their last four but have been outscored 71-117 in those games.

This isn't likely to be a defensive struggle, which is why there are several quality DFS options on both sides. One note here is that Raiders star running back Josh Jacobs is among several players who have been limited in practice. Jacobs missed Week 13 with an ankle injury and logged just 13 carries last week against the Indianapolis Colts.

Presumably, Jacobs will be available, but he may cede carries to Devontae Booker, who had eight last week.

Derek Carr, QB, Las Vegas Raiders

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DFS Value: $5,700 DraftKings, $7,200 FanDuel

Chargers quarterback Justin Herbert has cooled off a bit in recent weeks, throwing just three touchdowns and four interceptions in his last three games. He also has negative-two rushing yards over that span. Las Vegas' Derek Carr hasn't been phenomenal—he has five touchdowns and four picks in his last three games—but he should be the better play at quarterback.

To be fair, both signal-callers are start-worthy based on their matchups. The Chargers have allowed the ninth-most fantasy points to opposing quarterbacks, while the Raiders have allowed the 10th-most.

However, Las Vegas could lean more heavily on its quarterback, especially if Jacobs is at less than 100 percent. He has home-field advantage and the ever-so-slightly better fantasy matchup.

Carr passed for 316 yards with two touchdowns and two interceptions, ran for 12 yards and scored a rushing touchdown against a quality Colts defense last week. He should have similar numbers or better against Los Angeles.

Austin Ekeler, RB, Los Angeles Chargers

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DFS Value: $7,500 DraftKings, $7,600 FanDuel

While there's a tough choice to make at quarterback, Los Angeles' Austin Ekeler should be the clear choice at running back. Like Jacobs, he has been limited this week, but that may only be precautionary.

"He's just one of many players who did not practice on Monday but is likely just getting rest ahead of Thursday's matchup," Ameer Tyree of DraftKings Nation wrote.

Ekeler is a must-start when healthy because of his point-per-reception (PPR) upside. He has caught 24 passes in his last three games and has topped 120 scrimmage yards in two of the last three weeks. Ekeler also has a tremendous matchup against the Raiders defense.

Las Vegas has allowed the third-most fantasy points to opposing running backs this season. It has also allowed the 11th-most points to opposing receivers. The receiver ranking is at least somewhat relevant, given Ekeler's PPR prowess.

If you do go with Herbert over Carr, be sure to stack him with Ekeler. A good chunk of his passing yardage is likely to come from the running back.

Keenan Allen, WR, Los Angeles Chargers

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DFS Value: $7,800 DraftKings, $8.400 FanDuel

As previously mentioned, the Raiders haven't exactly been great against opposing wide receivers this year. This makes Chargers wideout Keenan Allen a must-start at the position for Week 15. One of the most underrated receivers in football, Allen has already amassed 975 receiving yards and eight touchdowns in 2020.

Allen has been a very strong DFS play over the past month. Over his last four games, he has produced 34 receptions for 285 yards and three touchdowns. He hasn't caught fewer than four passes in a game since Week 10 and has only done so twice this season.

Last week, Allen had nine receptions for 52 yards and a touchdown.

Consider Allen both a high-floor and a high-ceiling play this week. He could potentially take over the game, but even if he doesn't, his PPR value should keep him out of bust territory.

Like many of the players listed here, Allen has been limited in practice, so be sure to double-check game statuses before finalizing lineups on Thursday.

Darren Waller, TE, Las Vegas Raiders

Noah K. Murray/Associated Press

DFS Value: $6,900 DraftKings, $7,100 FanDuel

While Chargers tight end Hunter Henry should be a serviceable play in Week 15, Raiders tight end Darren Waller is a must-start. Waller is one of the few truly elite fantasy tight ends in 2020. With San Francisco 49ers star George Kittle sidelined, Waller is second only to Travis Kelce as an elite floor-ceiling combination.

After amassing 200 yards in Week 13, Waller had a "down" game in Week 14—with seven receptions and 75 receiving yards. That should provide an accurate snapshot of his potential range for this game.

Waller also has a pretty favorable matchup, as the Chargers have allowed the 13th-most fantasy points to opposing tight ends in 2020. Don't even consider starting Carr without stacking him with Waller. The blossoming tight end is the centerpiece of Las Vegas' passing attack.

One quick note before we wrap things: Avoid the Raiders and Chargers defense/special teams units if at all possible. Neither is very good, and both rank in the bottom 10 of scoring defenses. If you're playing a Thursday-only game and are forced to play one of the two, L.A. is the better choice by a slim margin.

The Chargers have only produced 23 sacks this season, but that's better than the 15 from Las Vegas.

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