Fantasy Football Team Preview: Chargers

With Fantasy Football season ready to kick in high gear, FanHouse is here to preview each and every team -- one per day until we've done them all.

Meet The ...
Highest scoring team in football! After a dismal 4-8 start, the playoffs looked out of reach for the 2008 San Diego Chargers. Then they did what they do best: win in December. Rattling off four straight victories (marking the third consecutive year the team finished on a big winning streak) meant the 8-8 Chargers were crowned champions of the AFC West yet again. Don't let the pedestrian .500 record fool you -- this was the No. 1 offense in football last year. With all the major players back in 2009, the Chargers should make another run at leading the league in points scored.

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The Breakout
While he didn't see a lot of carries last year, Darren Sproles plays an intriguing part in this high-powered offense. He's surpassed Brian Westbrook as the league's most dangerous player on a screen pass, scoring five TDs on just 29 receptions last year. He also showed what he is capable of in the running game in that critical final game of the season, gaining 115 yards on 14 carries while both rushing for a TD and catching a TD pass. LaDanian Tomlinson is still the bell cow of the offense, but the Chargers didn't slap their franchise tag on Sproles just to give him five or six touches a game. Questions also surround Tomlinson as he enters his age 30 season. At the least, Sproles should be able to double his 61 carries from last year while adding 10-20 receptions. He's actually very similar to Reggie Bush, who is generally taken about 40 picks ahead of Sproles.

The Bust
2008 was a perfect storm for Vincent Jackson. He benefited from various injuries to his entire competition for passes. The incomparable Tomlinson was limited first by a serious toe injury, then by a sore groin. Supposed No. 1 WR Chris Chambers missed a few games with an ankle injury that limited him throughout the season. He saw as many targets in 2008 as he did in a truncated season after coming to San Diego via trade. Finally, Antonio Gates suffered injuries to his ankle and toe, as well as his hip, which accounts for the significant drop in catches and targets that Gates received. After being targeted over 100 times in 2008, I think we'll see Jackson back at 80 targets in 2009, which would likely limit his upside. He's looking like a fourth-round or early fifth-round fantasy pick, and I see many receivers taken a few rounds later that I'd rather have at that price.

The Depth Chart
QB1 - Philip Rivers
QB2 - Billy Volek
RB1 - LaDanian Tomlinson
RB2 - Darren Sproles
RB3 - Gartrell Johnson (R)
WR1 - Vincent Jackson
WR2 - Chris Chambers
WR3 - Malcom Floyd
WR4 - Legedu Naanee
TE1 - Antonio Gates
K1 - Nate Kaeding

The D/ST
Yes, yes, and yes. The dangerous Shawne Merriman returns. Intriguing first-round pick Larry English should contribute immediately. Eric Weddle has become one of the game's best safeties and a top defensive back in IDP leagues. Kevin Burnett was brought in to strengthen the middle. Cornerbacks Quentin Jammer and Antonio Cromartie are playmakers. Jamal Williams is still huge. The Chargers are a legitimate top-five defense that you might be able to draft at a discount after last year's poor season.

The Skinny
- Philip Rivers took about 18 steps forward last year while putting up top-five numbers. He didn't throw the ball much more than usual, but he was able to limit mistakes (interceptions dropped from 15 to 11) while adding a ton of TDs and yardage. He might get over-drafted a bit (most QBs do), but he really showed enough to maintain his place as a fantasy starter for years.

- What to do with LaDanian Tomlinson? If you want him, you'll have to use a first-round pick on him. However, you really want to avoid risk with your first pick, and Tomlinson brings with him plenty of that. He turned 30 this year, a mark of the apocalypse for NFL running backs. The Chargers will likely give Sproles a larger workload this year in an attempt to keep Tomlinson fresh. With that being said, he's got the type of talent to make this paragraph look silly come September.

- Draft Antonio Gates. Even though he suffered a new injury seemingly every week, he was still able to turn in a top-five season at the TE position. When he remains healthy, he's the best tight end in the game without question. If you can get him in the fifth round, after solidifying your RB and WR positions, you should jump at the chance.

- With kickers, you'd like to grab one that plays either in a dome or in a warm-weather city. You also want to pick a guy that plays on a top scoring offense, ensuring he'll see a lot of work. Nate Kaeding is lucky enough to fill both scenarios. He's also incredibly accurate. Not that I ever take a kicker before the last round, but he'd be my first choice at the position.