The San Diego Chargers have officially been hit very hard by the injury bug. Two of their biggest players have been ruled out for the remainder of the season leaving big holes to be filled. One of those players, top wide receiver Malcom Floyd leaves the Chargers short-handed at the position they need the most depth in. With the wide receiver out, several players will see their fantasy value increase.
Floyd missed the past two games after suffering a neck injury against the Philadelphia Eagles. He was sandwiched in a hit by DeMeco Ryans and Nate Allen, forcing him to be taken off the field a in a stretcher and immediately taken to the hospital. While it was thought that the 32-year old was improving and might see the field again, his agent said Floyd will be out the remainder of the year as his long-term health becomes the top priority.
Without Floyd, the Chargers have five receivers they can count on. The team signed LaVelle Hawkins off free agency. Along with him, Eddie Royal, Vincent Brown, Keenan Allen and Seyi Ajirotutu make up the pass catchers. So who should fantasy owners invest in with Floyd officially gone for the year?
Philip Rivers is having a return-to-form type of season so investing in Chargers wide receivers is very smart in the first place. Brown's touches should be increasing by the week. Head coach Mike McCoy vows to give the receiver more action as weeks continue. So far he is third on the roster of current receivers with targets. On Sunday, Rivers tossed the ball to Brown nine times for seven completions. Hold on to Brown because he is poised for some big numbers soon.
"There may be something where Vincent may be number one in the progression, but a coverage changes so you do not get it to him," McCoy said. "It's not like we're not trying to get him the ball. It's just Philip taking what the defense is giving him. All the receivers have done a great job of having the flexibility to move them around.
So far this season, Brown is averaging 6.3 yards per catch. According to McCoy, the wide receiver is 100 percent healthy. While he may be the third option on the team, Rivers will begin targeting him soon enough.
