San Diego Chargers Fantasy Football Storylines

It was apparent last season that the Chargers had made the turn from LaDainian Tomlinson being the face of the franchise to Philip Rivers moving into the starring role.

Tomlinson is now gone and it is time for the Chargers to let some new faces shine. They are still the favorite in the AFC West as well as the team in the division to see it’s players go early in fantasy football drafts.

Quarterback

Philip Rivers actually didn’t live up to fantasy owner expectations last season. Although he had more than 200 yards passing than 2008, he also had six fewer touchdowns.

Rivers will still be better than your average QB and he will team up nicely with players that are picked in the first few rounds. While other owners are using early picks on QB, you could be using those picks on other positions and still possibly come away with Rivers in the fourth round.

Running Back  

There is a changing of the guard in San Diego at the running back position. LT is out, 2010 first rounder Ryan Mathews is in. Philip Rivers says he watches YouTube videos on incoming rookies and Mathews has a presence about him (here is a 3 TD performance highlighted). Mathews is being drafted as high as late first to the mid second round. A lot of faith being put in the rookie. We currently rank him at No. 10 in re-draft leagues.

Darren Sproles is sure to steal some touches, but you all know his role.

Shawnbrey McNeal is one to watch for Dynasty owners. Undrafted, he could be the third down back after Sproles is gone.

Wide Receiver

So we all know this is where the story is this year. One of the fast-rising talents, Vincent Jackson, is the top dog at wide receiver. Couple of problems with that. First is the three-game suspension. Beyond that, the restricted free agent wants to be traded and is a possible hold out for most or all of the season. Messy.

We would not suggest drafting the guy, let someone else take the risk. Be comfortable knowing they are using a roster spot that is producing goose eggs.

In Jackson’s absence, Malcolm Floyd will gain. At 6’5", 225, Floyd meets that big target criteria. Things are lining up for him, it is up to him now to make the most of his shot. His ADP is at 8.4 now, but you can bet that is going to continue to go down.

Tight End

The tight end position is what it is in San Diego. Antonio Gates will do what he does. His targets should increase with the Jackson troubles. Little note: while some look at him as getting older and targeting the likes of Dallas Clark ahead of him, Gates had a career high in yards last season (1,157) and the most receptions (79) since his best season in 2005. We have him ranked at No. 2 for tight end, but he could easily see him at No. 1.