Predictions Summary Projections by Position Projection Team Boxes

table td.bg-light-yellow {
background: #ffffcc; }

Prediction: NYJ 17, SD 27 (Line: SD by 7)

UPDATE: Both David Nelson and Eric Decker are questionable to play but Nelson is expected to miss the game. Decker missed the last two days of practice to rest his hamstring and will be a gametime decision. Chances are he won’t be near 100% if he can play and could be inactive. He plays in the late afternoon game too so any other options you might have would be limited at best.

The 1-3 Jets are on a three game losing streak with a 0-1 record on the road. The 3-1 Chargers are atop the AFC West and are 2-0 at home. This should strongly favor the Chargers while the Jets are fighting off calls for a new starting quarterback.

Nothing like losing a couple of straight games in front of the hometown fans to spawn dissatisfaction. The problem for the Jets is that they are about to hit a hard part of their schedule with an offense that is largely sputtering and lurching forward. A change in quarterback might help fantasy points for other players but it wouldn’t benefit the Jets as a team unless they were willing to throw Geno Smith away which they are clearly not doing to do. Yet.

QUARTERBACK : HC Rex Ryan now fields the weekly questions about the quarterback and that will continue so long as the Jets lose and Geno Smith continues to post right around 200 yards and one touchdown in every game regardless of what is needed. Smith has thrown at least one interception per game and lost two fumbles. His fantasy stock is nonexistent.

RUNNING BACK : Chris Johnson finally scored a rushing touchdown this year but it came on a 35-yard run when he only accounted for five carries for nine yards otherwise. Johnson has just not resembled his old self in New York in anyway and Chris Ivory is now getting the bigger part of the split. But Ivory only posts moderate yardage in most games. There is surprisingly little fantasy value here.

WIDE RECEIVER : Bad enough that Geno Smith tries to compete with mostly dregs for wide receivers. But Eric Decker is hampered by a hamstring strain. David Nelson injured his ankle badly enough that the team brought in Chris Osuwu. But this unit has only produced three touchdowns and two went to Decker who has the only fantasy relevance. This is a poor passing team that produced just one player who exceed 65 yards in any game.

TIGHT END : The good news is that rookie Jace Amaro posted two straight games with over 50 yards in them. For a team searching for answers, a 6-5/265 tight end could be a very good thing and a player they very much want to develop.

MATCH TO THE DEFENSE: The problem here, aside from being on the road, is that the Chargers have been great against the rush and no runner topped 53 yards against them. But the Chargers have allowed four touchdowns to backs who were catching the ball. That has not been used much by the Jets with Ivory and Johnson though the season opener included a touchdown pass to Johnson. The Chargers are solid against the pass and have not allowed more than two scores to any opposing quarterback. Ivory and Johnson are both low end plays this week and Decker is moderate assuming he is healthy to play.

The Chargers came within a point in week one to being undefeated and they have played that well – especially against some softer teams like the Jaguars. The defense has quietly been very good and Rivers is passing well enough to cloak the fact that the rushing game is in big need of help. That will be an issue in this game as well. The Chargers also have to not overlook this week with three AFC West matchups waiting on the other side.

QUARTERBACK : Philip Rivers has been rock solid this year, throwing for nine touchdowns already and never falling below 284 yards in a home game. Rivers has only thrown on interception this year. So long as Rivers remains healthy, the Chargers will compete regardless of the lack of rushing support.

RUNNING BACK : Ryan Mathews remains out with a sprained knee and the Chargers are not rushing the ball well. Danny Woodhead is gone for the year and Donald Brown took over but he only gained 19 yards on 10 carries on the Jaguars. The Jaguars! all combined, the Bolts only have one rushing touchdown and that was back in the season opener. Even when Mathews played, he never ran for more than 40 yards in any game. This will become a bigger problem in the future when they face better secondaries.

WIDE RECEIVER : All the wideouts enjoyed the Jaguars. Keenan Allen finally broke out of his funk and caught ten passes for 135 yards. Eddie Royal ended with five receptions for 105 yards and scored twice for the second week in a row. Malcom Floyd (3-39) even caught a touchdown.

But one week does not cover the fact that Allen has been shut down by all other teams and that the only notable wideout has been Eddie Royal who did this last year when he stepped up only to later disappear.

TIGHT END : There was no need to use the tight ends last week. But at least Antonio Gates scored three times in the only other home game and Ladarius Green remains outside of fantasy relevancy. Gates production has been all over the map and ends up directly related to the defense and game situation.

MATCH TO THE DEFENSE: The equation here is always the same. The Jets are going to shut down the run and the Chargers don’t have much anyway. But Rivers is going to face a secondary that always allows two or more passing touchdowns and healthy yardage. In the Jets one road trip, they gave up 346 yards and three scores to Aaron Rodgers but held Eddie Lacy to just 43 yards. Start Rivers, Gates and Allen but expect Brown to struggle.

table td.bg-light-yellow {
background: #ffffcc; }