Cassel looked more comfortable in the pocket last week at San Francisco, completing 22-of-32 passes for 259 yards and two TDs. Cassel still threw two interceptions, but did his best to get Randy Moss and Wes Welker more involved in the offense. It won't get any easier on the road on prime time TV, but the Chargers rank dead last in pass defense, so he should put up solid numbers nonetheless.
Morris took over in the second half of last week's win at San Francisco, getting 12 of his 16 carries after halftime. He finished with 63 yards and will likely get most of the carries this week at San Diego. Start him ahead of Laurence Maroney.
Maroney can officially be called a fantasy bust as he has been passed on the depth chart by Morris, Lamont Jordan and Kevin Faulk. Head coach Bill Belichick is defending Maroney as a good back, but it's unlikely that he will see any meaningful playing time anytime soon. Stay with Morris and Faulk, who will get 50-plus total yards out of the backfield.
Moss had his first big game with Cassel at QB as he caught five passes for 111 yards last week at San Francisco, catching a 66-yard TD pass in the first quarter. The Chargers will try to double-team him, but they rank 32nd against the pass and will still have trouble stopping Moss, Welker and the rest of the Patriots' passing game. Start Moss and expect at least one big play this week on national TV.
It was vintage Welker last week at San Francisco as he caught eight passes for 73 yards. He still hasn't topped 100 yards or caught a TD pass after catching 8 TD passes last year, but that first one should come soon enough. Stick with him as he will have another big game this week against a weak Chargers' pass defense.
Gaffney caught three passes for 35 yards last week at San Francisco and now has nine catches over his last two games. He's improving, but he's still not fantasy worthy despite the increased targets.
Watson played the entire game last week at San Francisco, sitting on only four plays and seems fully recovered from off-season knee surgery. He was targeted six times and finished with only two catches for 11 yards, but the increased playing time is encouraging. Look for similar targets this week.
The Patriots haven't been as opportunistic this year as last year, forcing just one fumble and five interceptions with seven sacks through four games. They will need to put pressure on QB Philip Rivers to win on the road this week.
After throwing three TD passes in each of the first three games, Rivers has been limited to one TD pass during each of the last two games, including Sunday's 17-10 loss at Miami. Rivers was under pressure all day and finished with less-than-stellar numbers (13-of-28 for 159 yards and a TD) while also getting bruised ribs. Rivers will start this week against New England, but could struggle again against this veteran defense and without veteran WR Chris Chambers.
Tomlinson re-injured his turf toe last Sunday at Miami and was limited to just 12 carries for 35 yards and five catches for 22 yards. He failed to score a TD for the third time in five games this year and will continue to struggle to play through the toe injury. Look for the Patriots to bottle him up this week and force Rivers to beat them through the air.
Sproles was dynamic on special teams again last week, but saw limited action on offense as he gained 24 yards on six carries and 23 yards on one reception. He will get 6-8 touches again this week with Tomlinson still hobbled by the turf toe injury, but it's not enough to earn a spot in your starting lineup for Week 6.
WR Chris Chambers is expected to miss this week's game with an ankle sprain, which would be a big blow to the Chargers' offense. He already has five TDs on just 11 catches, but will likely be replaced by Davis, who has just four catches on the year. Davis isn't worth picking up, even for the short term.
Jackson will take a more prominent role in the offense this week thanks to the ankle injury to Chambers. With Chambers likely out for this big matchup against the Patriots, Jackson will have to step up and be the primary target. Start him this week and hope for a big-time performance.
Gates was slowed by a hip injury last week at Miami and finished with just one catch for 12 yards. The hip and toe injuries are starting to slow Gates down and now with Chambers sidelined defenses will be able to double-team Gates if needed. He needs to step up in the red zone and find a way to get open if the Chargers are going to win this week at home.
The Chargers rank 32nd against the pass, but this defense still has 12 sacks and nine takeaways in five games. It will need to force turnovers this week for the Patriots to win at home.
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.jpg "NFL Cheerleaders: Week 16")
