San Diego Chargers RB Ryan Mathews stayed healthy and put together a solid season in 2013. Its a crowded backfield and he doesn’t catch the ball much, so it is a little risky expecting an encore performance, but Mathews has the talent to make it happen. Photo: Icon Sportswire

Data as of July 25 | Current Cheatsheets | Current Projections

NR = Not ranked

QB Philip Rivers

The line on Rivers heading into 2013 was that he was a quarterback no longer capable of putting up big numbers given the declining talent level of the skill position players surrounding him in the Chargers offense. So much for that. Rivers rebounded strongly from his subpar performance in 2012, throwing for 4,478 yards (the 2nd most of his career) and 32 touchdowns (the 2nd most of his career) while throwing just 11 interceptions. Let’s just say that head coach Mike McCoy’s offensive philosophy seemed to mesh well with his talents. Is a repeat performance on tap in 2014? We think so. Rivers seemed to emerge last season as a quarterback capable of lifting the talents of those around him as opposed to having to rely on them. With Keenan Allen busting on the scene as a solid threat at wide receiver and a pair of pass catching tight ends to go along with solid receiving options out of the backfield, Rivers may not have any elite talents around him. But he has enough to make a decent option as a low end QB1 if you choose to wait on your quarterback in your fantasy drafts.

RB Ryan Mathews

After teasing the Chargers during the first three ‎years of his career with one solid season and a pair of injury marred ones that featured glimpses of brilliance, Mathews solidified his position in the team’s offense in 2013. The former 1st round pick ran for a career-high 1,255 yards and six touchdowns while catching 29 passes for another 189 yards and a score. Better yet, with the team needing to finish the season strong to sneak into the playoffs, they dialed up Mathews for 107 carries from Week 13 to 16. In 2014, the Chargers backfield grew a little more crowded with the addition of former Indianapolis Colt Donald Brown, but the team has signaled that he is more of an insurance policy than a threat to Mathews. However, with Danny Woodhead taking clear ownership of the pass catching role out of the backfield, Mathews’ upside is somewhat limited. Consider him a somewhat risky high end RB2 with upside.

RB Danny Woodhead

In his first year as a Charger, Woodhead proved to be a PPR demon and decent flex option as he finished the season with 76 receptions, 1,030 total yards and eight touchdowns, including six through the air. Head coach Mike McCoy and former offensive coordinator Ken Whisenhunt clearly crafted game plans to take advantage of Woodhead’s strengths, and quarterback Philip Rivers proved to be wiling to check the ball down to him on a regular basis. What’s to change in 2014? Not much, at least in our crystal ball. Ryan Mathews remains the team’s starter but he managed more than three receptions just twice last season. Donald Brown was signed as insurance but his pass catching chops don’t match those of Woodhead. While we do think that Brown would step into the starting line up if Mathews were to go down, we like Woodhead as mid to low end RB4 with upside in standard leagues and a definite RB3 or flex option in leagues that award points for receptions.

RB Donald Brown

A strange thing happened on the way to Brown solidifying himself as a former 1st round bust. He actually put together a solid season, subbing in for an ineffective Trent Richardson and rushing for 537 yards and six touchdowns while averaging 5.3 yards per carry in his final season as an Indianapolis Colt. Brown also chipped in as a pass receiver with 27 receptions for 214 yards and a pair of scores. Of course, after the free agent market for his services proved to be lukewarm, Brown chose to sign on in San Diego where he figures to spend the year as an insurance policy in case injuries strike Ryan Mathews or Danny Woodhead. That renders him as having little fantasy value in 2014 although he may be worth stashing on your dynasty roster since Mathews is scheduled for unrestricted free agency at season’s end.

WR Keenan Allen

The Chargers used a 3rd round pick to acquire Allen in the 2013 NFL Draft and he proved to be an absolute steal in his first season as a Charger. Considered a polished product coming out of California, Allen took advantage of injuries to Danario Alexander and Malcom Floyd, finishing the season with 71 receptions on just 104 targets for 1,046 yards and eight touchdowns. Even more impressive is that all but 30 yards of that production came in 14 games as Allen saw just four targets during the first two games of the season. While we keep reading that Allen may have peaked as a rookie, don’t count us in on that line of reasoning. Of the top 20 ranked fantasy wide receivers, none had fewer targets than Allen’s 104. His average of 1.47 points per target ranked third amongst the league’s top 20 fantasy wide receivers. While Allen may see more coverage in 2014, that should be offset by an increase in his target count. Consider Allen a low end WR1 and an outstanding dynasty league add.

WR Vincent Brown

Three years into his career, Brown has done precious little to solidify himself a starting spot in the Chargers offense. With Malcom Floyd injured and Brown starting opposite rookie Keenan Allen, he still failed to top 500 receiving yards, finishing the season with 41 receptions for 472 yards and a score. Here we go: Double digit fantasy points – once. Games with more than 55 receiving yards – one. Games with more than four receptions – two. At 5’11”, 184 pounds and possessing little speed, Brown shapes up as a small possession receiver who hasn’t displayed much playmaking ability. In fact, it’s hard to believe the Chargers haven’t done more to replace him. Move on.

WR Malcom Floyd

After suffering a neck injury that sidelined him for 14 games last season, Floyd will attempt a comeback with the Chargers in 2014 at the age of 32 (33 in September). If that sounds like a loaded statement, it is only partially since San Diego currently lists Vincent Brown as their starter opposite Keenan Allen. While we think Floyd has the potential to reclaim a roster spot and overtake Brown in the starting line up, we don’t like his odds of returning to fantasy prominence.

WR Eddie Royal

Don’t be fooled by Royal’s respectable 7.5 PPG average from last season. It is a mirage. After starting the season out on fire with 10 receptions for 114 yards and five touchdowns (that’s not a typo, folks), Royal fell flat, finding the end zone just three more times over the course of the season and gaining 517 yards along the way. Simply put, Royal is a solid slot receiver off the bench who is also capable of lining up outside. Better football player than fantasy option. It is five long years since Royal’s outstanding rookie season when he hauled in 91 receptions for 980 yards and five touchdowns. Can we conclude that was a fluke?

TE Ladarius Green

It isn’t a matter of it, it’s a matter of when. As in, when will Ladarius Green take over for Antonio Gates as the Chargers main tight end? With Gates entering training camp atop the depth chart and coming off a productive season, it appears that Green will have to wait his turn, at least early in 2014. However, we think that the 6’6″, 240 pound 2012 4th round draft pick has too much talent to be kept down for long and will therefore assume a larger role in the team’s offense by midseason. We like Green as a low-end TE1 with major upside and a player that could peak just in time for the fantasy playoffs. And, of course, he is an outstanding dynasty league prospect.

TE Antonio Gates

Although there were plenty of fantasy prognosticators that had written Gates off prior to the 2013 season, he managed to keep the naysayers at bay for another year as he posted his highest yardage total since the 2009 season with 872 yards on 77 receptions. He would have been a top five fantasy tight end if he posted his usual eight or nine touchdown count but he finished the season with just four, the lowest total since his rookie season in 2003. Helping matters was that outside of Keenan Allen, the Chargers got little production from their wide receivers. While the 34-year old Gates remains listed as the Chargers starting tight end, the wonderfully talented Ladarius Green is nipping at his heels and you have to wonder if Gates will retain his role within the team’s offense by season’s end. He finished last season with a whimper, totaling just 15 yards in the Chargers two playoff games and failing to top 50 receiving yards in his last eight games including the playoffs. There are too many red flags here to consider Gates as anything more than a fantasy reserve in 2014.