Thursday Game Breakdown - Chargers vs Oakland

Oakland

JaMarcus Russell - This might be a better than average start for Russell, but does it matter when the average is this bad? You can’t start him unless you are in the deepest of trouble. Yes, the Chargers are a fantastically awful 31^st vs the pass. But Russell has struggled too early and often to count on in the fantasy playoffs.

Justin Fargas – The run defense here is just good enough to have me worried (15^th with only 6 TDs allowed). Michael Turner did get 120 yads but that was Turner and with a good offense. Fargas is not as good and lacks that good offense portion of the formula. And he may split carries with Darren McFadden. A flex? Maybe but a risky one.

Darren McFadden – Boom or Bust with DMac2 – he can put up some numbers but is splitting carries with son of Huggy Bear and having to run with no real threat of passing offense behind him – it could be tough. Again, the Chargers aren’t great against the run, but good enough and McFadden may put up a little of this, a little of that and not enough to be worth the start. He might be an early flex or real low end #2. He is a Hail Mary early in the week and I hate those.

OAK WR core – no thanks. Seriously.


Zach Miller – Miller has been the only somewhat stable thing in the offense for a while and given how shaky many TEs are, he will be a decent though not fantastic start most weeks.

CHARGERS

Phillip Rivers - A few weeks ago this looked like a much better matchup than it does now. But the oline in SD has actually gotten worse and allowed Rivers to get massacred last weekend against Atlanta. And turns out special teams player Chris Johnson (whom I admit to having less than stellar opinion of) is a pretty good CB. With him opposite Nnamdi Asomugha they might keep the passing offense and Rivers on their toes. Check that - they WILL. If I can avoid Rivers this weekend, I would.

Ladainian Tomlinson – Sure he hasn’t been himself this year. And yes the oline has been sub-par and losing Lorenzo Neal was unfortunate. Still, he is facing the 29^th run D and on his own with the same bad oline scored 2 TDs and had 100+ yards. They will key on him and I think – while it will be meh for LT – he will have a good enough day to warrant starting him in all leagues – no lower than the #2 and more than likely worth at least a low level RB1.

Chris Chambers - While he is getting more targets than Jackson, he's still not impressing me and isn't doing anything much fantasy-wise. I wouldn't trust him if I could avoid it, there are better #3s and a few #4s I might like more - including his teammate Jackson. Toomer, Hixon, Ginn are all guys I would rather start.

Vincent Jackson - Jackson is not getting as many targets as he had in the past but the ones he gets are red zone targets. If Chambers could play a little better, opposing secondaries wouldn't be able to blanket Jackson and he would have more room. But he gets some redzone love and between that and his more reliable hands, I don't mind having V-Jax in my lineup as a 4 depending upon other matchups.

Antonio Gates - Gates has not had a very good season, didn't play great last time out (though was the only guy with a receiving TD) and struggled last week. If the Chargers cannot protect Rivers, Gates is in for a long day. I can only hope he plays well - this is almost a bench-worthy matchup right now - with a lesser TE it would be. But Gates can go off - so it will be hard to find someone you trust more often and can count on.