Fantasy Football Player Notes

It's clear that Moore is still the same highly-targeted receiver in Joe Brady's offense as he was in Scott Turner's last year, as his 22 targets rank fourth among wide receivers. He hasn't found the end zone yet, and while those will come, it may not be in Week 3. The Chargers incredible cornerback duo of Chris Harris Jr. and Casey Hayward awaits, though there's a twist to what we thought. The Chargers have deployed Harris in the slot, which means Michael Davis is starting on the perimeter. The Chargers have still allowed the third-fewest fantasy points per target (1.36) to wide receivers, and they were the fourth-best team in the league against wide receivers last year, too. It helps that they've faced just 15.8 wide receiver targets per game in that stretch. You can't bench Moore with all the targets he's getting, but you need to understand how tough of a matchup this is, knocking him down into low-end WR2 territory. I definitely prefer him over Anderson considering Moore will match up with Davis more than he will Hayward, unless they shadow Moore, which seems dangerous to leave Anderson in Davis' coverage all game.

With fantasy MVP Christian McCaffrey out for 4-6 weeks, Davis figures to be the starting running back for the next month or so. He only netted one carry in relief last week, but he saw eight targets, catching all of them for 74 yards. Davis used to be considered a third-down back who could be mixed in on early downs, so it's good to see the Panthers realize his potential through the air. The downside is that the Chargers defense awaits, and they've been murderous through two weeks, allowing just 0.63 PPR points per opportunity, which ranks as the fourth-lowest number in the league. The 3.94 yards per target they've allowed is ridiculous, especially when you know they've played against Joe Mixon and Clyde Edwards-Helaire in the first two games. The 46 touches that running backs have totaled is also the fifth-lowest mark in the league, and that's despite teams running 68.5 plays per game against them. He's still a starting running back who's likely locked into 15 touches, so he belongs in the middling RB3 territory.

It appears that Matt Rhule and Joe Brady had a big role planned for Anderson when they signed him to that two-year deal this offseason. It was the best thing for his production, as he's tallied 15 receptions for 223 yards and a touchdown, enough to make him the No. 5 receiver in PPR formats. We've definitely seen "boom" performances from Anderson in the past but they were usually throughout the season and not back-to-back. Now having at least eight targets in two straight games to open his Panthers career, it's a good sign of things to come. Unfortunately, the Chargers are not a defense to attack with wide receivers, as they've allowed the 10th-fewest points to them in 2020, and that's coming off last season's No. 4 finish. They added Chris Harris Jr. to the mix, which certainly helps compensate for the loss of safety Derwin James on the back end, though that's where Tyreek Hill beat them last week. He'd totaled just four catches for 45 scoreless yards on 10 targets before that fourth-quarter bomb that went for a 45-yard touchdown. That's why it's so hard to sit someone like Anderson, as he also presents that one-play upside, and when he's getting eight-plus opportunities per game, the chances rise. The Chargers did allow just six pass plays of 40-plus yards last year, so it's far from a certainty. He's turning into a WR3, though he comes with bust risk in this matchup knowing he'll see Casey Hayward the most, who might be a top-five cornerback in the league.

With Christian McCaffrey out of the lineup, I'm guessing the Chargers get Samuel a lot more involved in the backfield. He's totaled five carries to this point while getting 10 targets (just two in Week 2), so it should be fair to project him for 10 opportunities moving forward. The Chargers have surprisingly gone with Michael Davis on the perimeter and moved Chris Harris Jr. into the slot over Desmond King, who's been a sturdy presence in the slot over the last few years. King even went to social media this week, asking why he's not on the field. It's a good question. Davis is a former undrafted free agent who's been competent, but Harris proved last year he's capable of handling perimeter receivers, so why then don't go with a combination of Casey Hayward, Harris, and King? I don't know. But Harris is a real problem for Samuel, as he's one of the best cornerback in the league. He got burned on a 54-yard touchdown last week, but it required an insane throw by Patrick Mahomes to get done, something we won't see Bridgewater doing. Samuel gets a bump in appeal with McCaffrey out, but the matchup isn't a good one, making him a risky WR4/5.