Chargers top offensive trio is a top-10 group in fantasy football

I’m a huge fantasy football player. I’m my bank account and attention span will allow it, I’ll join and partake in as many different leagues as possible.

Standard, PPR, auction, dynasty. I usually do them all.

Of course, as a Chargers fan who is lucky enough to cover the team, I always do my best to add at least one Bolt to my squad so whenever I’m watching that week’s game, I have at least one reason to boost my excitement other than watching my favorite team compete.

At this point in the offseason, I thought it’d be a good time to check out where some of the Chargers’ best player are sitting in the most-recently updated fantasy rankings over at ESPN.

So let’s take a look.

*All rankings based on PPR formats

Justin Herbert - QB 8

Coming off a rookie season where he took home Offensive Rookie of the Year honors in the NFL, it’s not surprising to see Herbert solidified in the top 10. He’s got a live arm, plays in a vertical passing attack, and can use his legs near and around the goal line which means his chances of falling forward for a score is one of the better marks in the league. All of that adds up to a good fantasy quarterback. After scoring 36 total touchdowns in 15 games, there’s a chance that Herbert eclipses the 40-touchdown mark in year two, which helps give him a pretty high floor. I’m not sure how high he should go in drafts, but he’s likely an awesome pick in the middle rounds if you’re in a league that likes to wait on quarterbacks.

Austin Ekeler - RB 7

Running backs have been the premium positions to draft as early as possible in fantasy over the past few seasons. In the early to mid-2000’s zero-RB was the move but not any longer. With the plethora of dual-threat backs running abound in the NFL, maximizing yards and opportunities to score is the name of the game. This is why Ekeler should be a first-round in everyone’s fantasy drafts this season.

The former UDFA is about to get the Alvin Kamara-treatment in the Chargers new offense under Joe Lombardi. He’s going to see 20+ touches per game and see them while lined up in a variety of places all across the formation. He’ll run it. He’ll catch it. Heck, maybe he’ll even pull an “LT” and fake a sweep before tossing it to Keenan Allen over the head of a defenders. Either way, target Ekeler if you’re anywhere near the back end of your draft’s order.

Keenan Allen - WR 8

In his first year working with Herbert, Allen saw a career-low in yards per reception at 9.9. That’s the first time he’s ever been under double-digits but hopefully it’s not a sign of things to come. Allen may not have burning speed but his route-running savvy will allow him to get a step on defenders whether he’s going vertically or horizontally. The team does have a bunch of deep threats around him, but Allen is still dangerous on any route and the Chargers may need to feed him a bit more on intermediate to deep routes to help mix the offense up. Otherwise, defenses will be able to start keying on that fact.

This year, you should be able to land Allen in the second round, maybe somewhere near the middle of that stretch. Like last year, he’ll come at a discount and hopefully pay you back in full with his monster target share.

Michael Badgley - K 25

After a horrendous season, somehow Badgley comes in at the very last spot among the 25 kickers ranked by ESPN. Since he’s way outside the top-10 or 12, avoid him at all costs. If you think he’s primed for a bounce back season, keep an eye on him, but he’s not going to be someone you pick up early on.

Defense/Special Teams - D/ST 23

Like Badgley in 2020, this unit was very, very poor. The new coaching staff will undoubtedly add a lot more spark to the group but until they prove otherwise, this will be seen as one of the worst units in the NFL. If they play like we know they can underneath Brandon Staley and Co., this will be a huge get for your team that used all their picks on actual players instead of reaching on a D/ST during the late rounds of your draft.