The Chargers are coming off yet another close last-minute cross your fingers hold your breath loss. While the Miami Dolphins are rolling into a three consecutive win possibility. This will be deemed as the match-up between the stud rookie quarterbacks in Week 10, just as it should.
Week 10 Fantasy Preview
QUARTERBACK, JUSTIN HERBERT:
You would be hard-pressed to find another rookie quarterback performing as well as Herbert. He leads all rookie quarterbacks with 17 touchdown passes. He has 10 touchdowns and three interceptions while playing on the road. And he has added two rushing touchdowns along with his 166 rushing yards. He is fantasy relevant. It helps that the Dolphins are giving up the fourth-most rushing yards to opposing quarterbacks.
RUNNING BACK, KALEN BALLAGE:
Ballage was the surprising choice to dominate the backfield last week when Justin Jackson went down. He finished 15-69-1 and was targeted three times.
RUNNING BACK, JOSHUA KELLEY:
Kelley has seemingly been relegated to the third option, having been surpassed by Ballage who had just been called up from the practice squad. Kelley finished last week 9-28 but did see five targets which he converted to five receptions for 31 yards.
RUNNING BACK, JUSTIN JACKSON:
Jackson did not practice this week and won’t play in Week 10. It appears the Bolts will go with the two backs mentioned above as well as Troymaine Pope.
CHARGERS RUNNING BACKS:
Anthony Lynn and the Chargers are more than happy to stay with the hot hand, and right now that would be Ballage. But everyone knows this is Herbert’s game. The Chargers pass the ball on an average of 37.6 times a game. That is the eighth-most in the league. And while they are third in rushing attempts at 32.8, they fall to eighth in rushing yards per game. All respectable, except that the numbers are skewed by a healthy Austin Ekeler and Jackson, neither of whom will be available Sunday.
WIDE RECEIVER, KEENAN ALLEN:
There is no scenario in which you are sitting Allen in your fantasy lineup. Maybe if he was listed as not flying to the game with the team…maybe. In every game with Herbert under center, Allen has been targeted at least 10 times. In this match-up, there is understandable concern that Allen would be shadowed by Xavien Howard who held DeAndre Hopkins to three receptions for 30 yards last week. The good news, Allen has run 45-percent of his routes out of the slot. In those, he has 35-percent of his targets. Howard doesn’t ‘usually’ move to cover the slot. Whew.
But make no mistake ever since Byron Jones returned the Dolphins defense has been much better, although Kyler Murray torched them for three touchdowns and 106 rushing yards adding one more touchdown last week.
WIDE RECEIVER, MIKE WILLIAMS:
And here is where it gets interesting. With Howard concerned and stopping Hopkins last week, Christian Kirk made the most with 5-123-1, on eight targets. If he is healthy, Williams will most likely be the one to receive the coverage of Howard or Jones. They are pretty much lockdown. However, the Dolphins have the third-highest target share of 62.5-percent to wide receivers this year. Williams has 40 targets on the year, and in his last four games has been targeted, 7-8-3-8, times respectively. He also has seen seven end zone targets.
It is a dicey proposition, but if he is consistently targeted in this game that should be close with two gunslingers, Williams could come up with a touchdown. Just temper your expectations as this Dolphins team is better than advertised.
TIGHT END, HUNTER HENRY:
We all know that sooner or later Henry will have that smash-mouth game that he is capable of. It just might not be this week. The Dolphins have kept opposing tight ends to under four receptions and 38 yards. Henry has not had over four receptions since Week 3. That was also the last time he eclipsed 33 yards in a game. He has seen the end zone once this season and that was five weeks ago.
Henry is capable of great things. And of course the moment we sit him he will do great things. This week, however, doesn’t feel like that moment.
CHARGERS DEFENSE:
The Chargers defense is working in the bend-don’t-break mold and it is slowly crumbling. The Dolphins are coming in hot winning on both the offensive and defensive sides of the ball.
While the defense has been able to create pressure within 2.5 seconds, 30-percent of the time, they have the lowest blitz rate in the league. This is not good for a passer who is known to be more accurate when he releases the ball 2.5 and under. Good luck! Come talk @ me on Twitter @neverenoughglt