Over/Under: 0.0
Raiders Implied Team Total: 0.00
Chargers Implied Team Total: 0.00
This game still has yet to receive set Vegas lines due to the uncertainty surrounding Derek Carr, but it has the potential to shootout if Carr does suit up. Even if Carr sits, there are still several intriguing plays here.
Keenan Allen, WR, Los Angeles Chargers
FanDuel Price: $7,200
Keenan Allen continues to be a target-hog (26.8% target market share) for the Los Angeles Chargers, with at least 9 in all five games so far. He is coming off of a season-high 12 targets last week and should be targeted early and often against a weak Oakland Raiders secondary. If Carr plays, that just sweetens the deal for Allen, as the game will likely be higher scoring and more fast-paced.
Oakland ranks 25th against the pass last year according to our opponent-adjusted Net Expected Points (NEP) metric, and they are down to 31st so far this season. (For more information about NEP, visit our glossary.)
No matter what the game script in this one, Allen will be in play based on the matchup. If Carr suits up, this could end up being one of the highest-scoring games on the slate, which would turn Allen into one of the best plays on the slate.
Melvin Gordon, RB, Los Angeles Chargers
FanDuel Price: $8,400
Melvin Gordon bounced back in a big way in Week 5, turning 26 touches into 163 scrimmage yards and 2 touchdowns, good for 31.3 FanDuel points. He was heavily involved in the passing game, as his 8 targets marked his third game in which at least 6 passes headed his direction. He also scored his 2nd and 3rd receiving touchdowns of the year. His involvement on the goal line and in the passing game make him a solid fantasy asset in any given week, but an incredible one when the matchup and game script are right.
The matchup would certainly appear to be right, as the trio of Javorius Allen, C.J. Anderson, and Chris Thompson have averaged 128 scrimmage yards and scored 2 touchdowns against Oakland over the past three weeks. In fact, Oakland ranks in the bottom-5 in total yards allowed to running backs this season.
The game script is a bit tougher to predict, but no matter the status of Carr's health, Gordon should be in good shape. If Carr suits up, it's unlikely Los Angeles gets blown out, and there will be more points scored. That's great for Gordon, who has 17 touchdowns over his past 18 games. If Carr sits, Los Angeles could control the game and feed Gordon, similar to what the Baltimore Ravens did last week, feeding Allen and Alex Collins 37 touches. Either way, Gordon is a great bet for production against Oakland's defense.
Others to Consider
Hunter Henry ($5,400) is another intriguing low-priced tournament tight end this week. While he had a few games with large target totals mixed in to start the year, his snap rate was a big concern. That changed last week, as Henry was on the field for 75.6% of the offensive snaps. The result was 3 catches on 8 targets for 42 yards and a score, marking back-to -back games with a touchdown for Henry. He is still a dicey week-to-week option, but in a terrific matchup against a team notorious for their struggles against tight ends, Henry is certainly in play.
Carr ($7,500) seems to be the center of discussion when it comes to this game, yet is tough to imagine him playing, even if he was at full health. No quarterback has thrown for more than 250 yards against Los Angeles yet this season, which makes Carr a tough sell. Michael Crabtree ($7,000) also is a tough sell, as he will likely spend a good portion of his day dealing with Casey Hayward. If throwing a dart, Amari Cooper ($6,400) could see some extra targets head his direction with Crabtree in a tough spot, but it is tough to envision paying $6,400 for a dude with three straight games of single-digit receiving yardage.