This Saturday night, the Los Angeles Chargers are set to face the New England Patriots in Foxboro for the first round of the playoffs. The Patriots are favored by 3.5 points, with a total over/under of 46.5. Despite an initial rocky start, with a 1-2 record, the Patriots have turned things around, finishing the season at 13-1. The Chargers, meanwhile, are grappling with injuries among some key offensive linemen, though their defense has managed to step up and cover for offensive weaknesses at times.
Next, let’s take a look at some standout players for fantasy purposes in this wild-card game.
Drake Maye, QB, Patriots (FLEX $13,200, CPT $19,800)
Maye is definitely the top choice for captain on the Patriots. The team tends to distribute the ball widely, but, honestly, we haven’t seen great fantasy performances from anyone but him. His rushing ability makes him a prime candidate; he knows how to score touchdowns with both his legs and arm. Basically, he can accumulate fantasy points rapidly.
Omarion Hampton, RB, Chargers (FLEX $11,200, CPT $16,800)
Despite still dealing with an ankle issue, Hampton recently had a strong outing with 22 touches in Week 17. Interestingly, he was rested in Week 18. In that game, he caught eight passes, which suggests teams are willing to lean on him for significant work, even with Kimani Vidal in the mix. The Patriots have a robust run defense, but injuries have impacted them, so I expect Hampton to shine unless he doesn’t practice fully and appears on the injury report.
LaMondre Stephenson, RB, Chargers (FLEX $9,600, CPT $14,400)
There was some chatter about Treveyon Henderson stepping into the running back role, but Stephenson has kept that spot leading up to the playoffs. The coaching staff appears to be gaining confidence in him, which is surprising given his early season fumbling issues. While he’s often sharing touches with Henderson, Stephenson is starting to see more targets and goal-line opportunities. He’s scored six touchdowns in his last three games—pretty impressive. It would be unexpected if Henderson didn’t see touches in the playoff opener.
Tre Harris, WR, Chargers (FLEX $4,200, CPT $6,300)
Harris’s numbers haven’t been eye-popping, but he has managed 17 targets over the last four games. While he’s only caught 10 for 139 yards, that’s sufficient volume to consider him as a budget option if you’re looking to save some cash.
Kayshon Boot, TE, Patriots (FLEX $6,400, CPT $9,600)
Boot had a great start to the season with Maye, connecting on several big plays. However, their once-high efficiency has declined a bit. Still, these two can surprise everyone with substantial plays at any moment. I think he might be a bit on the pricey side, which could make it tough for others to fit him into their lineups.
Orondo Gadsden, TE, Chargers (FLEX $5,400, CPT $8,100)
Gadsden has seen a noticeable dip in performance during the latter part of the season, but he did show signs of life between Weeks 4 and 7. His usage rates are still decent, though he hasn’t hit the high numbers he had early on. He’s still getting enough targets to be relevant for DFS, and if things take a turn, he could have more chances to shine.
