NFL

Sleeper Fantasy Picks for Chargers vs. Chiefs Sunday Night Football

Everyone expected Jim Harbaugh to have a positive impact on the Los Angeles Chargers, but few expected such a dramatic turnaround. The former NFL Coach of the Year has transformed LA’s defense while also finding a way to reinvigorate the Chargers’ offensive attack. Harbaugh will need both to work harmoniously if the Chargers hope to knock off the Kansas City Chiefs on Sunday Night Football. The Chiefs continue to do Super Bowl-winning things, getting off to a superb 11-1 record so far this season. After pulling off dramatic late-game wins in three of their past four, is this the week that Kansas City’s luck runs out?

This article will discuss two or more of my favorite NFL pick’ems from Sleeper Fantasy, where you can use Sleeper promo code LABS1 for a $1,500 deposit match.

Sleeper Fantasy Picks for Chargers vs. Chiefs

Patrick Mahomes More 16.5 Rushing Yards

Few teams have had any success throwing the ball versus Los Angeles. The Chargers’ defense sits top 10 in passing yards allowed, opponent completion percentage, and yards per pass play. That could force Patrick Mahomes and the Chiefs offense to prioritize the ground game in this AFC West showdown.

Mahomes is no stranger to running the football. The two-time MVP has accumulated 231 rushing yards this season, averaging 5.0 yards per rush attempt, 3.8 carries per game, and 19.3 rushing yards per game. Moreover, he’s eclipsed 16.5 rushing yards in eight of his last 11 contests while toting the ball at least five times in six of 10. All of those metrics support that Mahomes is poised to eclipse his modest total on Sunday Night Football.

However, it’s also worth noting some of the Chargers’ miscues in their run defense. They sit in the middle of the league in rush yards allowed per game, giving up a beefy 119.4. But that number looks much worse over their more recent sample. Across their last five games, the Chargers are giving up 128.6 rushing yards per game. Moreover, opposing quarterbacks have accounted for a significant portion of that damage. Three of the past five signal callers have surpassed 27 rushing yards, yielding a five-game average of 22.8 rushing yards per game.

Mahomes is the best in the game at taking what opposing defenses give him. Los Angeles has failed at defending the run recently, and more particularly, given quarterbacks all the time and space they need to inflict damage on the ground. That’s a dangerous combination that should allow Mahomes to eclipse 16.5 rushing yards Sunday night.

Justin Herbert More 17.5 Rushing Yards

Under the previous coaching regime, Justin Herbert was robbed of some of his athletic ability and became a more stationary pocket passer. Thankfully, Harbaugh has undone some of that damage and loosened the reins on Herbert. We’re seeing a reinvigorated Herbert in the ground game, an upward trajectory that should continue against the Chiefs.

The Chargers quarterback is averaging the second-most rushing yards per game of his career (17.7), and the most since the 2021 season. Further, he’s taking off more frequently than at any other point in his career, totaling 4.2 rushing attempts per game. Those benchmarks look even more impressive across his recent sample. Herbert has gone north of 29 rushing yards in three of his past four, a stretch that includes nearly 6.0 carries and 31.8 rushing yards per game.

Although Kansas City remains a preeminent defensive power, they’ve also lost sight of opposing quarterbacks in the ground game. Two weeks ago, Carolina Panthers quarterback Bryce Young accumulated 20 rushing yards on just three carries. In the game prior, Josh Allen burned the Chiefs for 55 yards on 12 carries. That sets the standard for what to expect from Herbert as he tries to lead his Chargers to victory at Arrowhead Stadium.

Over the past few weeks, Herbert has become a more fluid quarterback. He’s more keen on tucking and running, and he is able to effectively identify the most opportune times to do so. As much success as the Chiefs have had defensively, they haven’t been able to corral opposing quarterbacks when they decide to take off on the ground. Consequently, Herbert should be able to easily exceed 17.5 rushing yards.

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Everyone expected Jim Harbaugh to have a positive impact on the Los Angeles Chargers, but few expected such a dramatic turnaround. The former NFL Coach of the Year has transformed LA’s defense while also finding a way to reinvigorate the Chargers’ offensive attack. Harbaugh will need both to work harmoniously if the Chargers hope to knock off the Kansas City Chiefs on Sunday Night Football. The Chiefs continue to do Super Bowl-winning things, getting off to a superb 11-1 record so far this season. After pulling off dramatic late-game wins in three of their past four, is this the week that Kansas City’s luck runs out?

This article will discuss two or more of my favorite NFL pick’ems from Sleeper Fantasy, where you can use Sleeper promo code LABS1 for a $1,500 deposit match.

Sleeper Fantasy Picks for Chargers vs. Chiefs

Patrick Mahomes More 16.5 Rushing Yards

Few teams have had any success throwing the ball versus Los Angeles. The Chargers’ defense sits top 10 in passing yards allowed, opponent completion percentage, and yards per pass play. That could force Patrick Mahomes and the Chiefs offense to prioritize the ground game in this AFC West showdown.

Mahomes is no stranger to running the football. The two-time MVP has accumulated 231 rushing yards this season, averaging 5.0 yards per rush attempt, 3.8 carries per game, and 19.3 rushing yards per game. Moreover, he’s eclipsed 16.5 rushing yards in eight of his last 11 contests while toting the ball at least five times in six of 10. All of those metrics support that Mahomes is poised to eclipse his modest total on Sunday Night Football.

However, it’s also worth noting some of the Chargers’ miscues in their run defense. They sit in the middle of the league in rush yards allowed per game, giving up a beefy 119.4. But that number looks much worse over their more recent sample. Across their last five games, the Chargers are giving up 128.6 rushing yards per game. Moreover, opposing quarterbacks have accounted for a significant portion of that damage. Three of the past five signal callers have surpassed 27 rushing yards, yielding a five-game average of 22.8 rushing yards per game.

Mahomes is the best in the game at taking what opposing defenses give him. Los Angeles has failed at defending the run recently, and more particularly, given quarterbacks all the time and space they need to inflict damage on the ground. That’s a dangerous combination that should allow Mahomes to eclipse 16.5 rushing yards Sunday night.

Justin Herbert More 17.5 Rushing Yards

Under the previous coaching regime, Justin Herbert was robbed of some of his athletic ability and became a more stationary pocket passer. Thankfully, Harbaugh has undone some of that damage and loosened the reins on Herbert. We’re seeing a reinvigorated Herbert in the ground game, an upward trajectory that should continue against the Chiefs.

The Chargers quarterback is averaging the second-most rushing yards per game of his career (17.7), and the most since the 2021 season. Further, he’s taking off more frequently than at any other point in his career, totaling 4.2 rushing attempts per game. Those benchmarks look even more impressive across his recent sample. Herbert has gone north of 29 rushing yards in three of his past four, a stretch that includes nearly 6.0 carries and 31.8 rushing yards per game.

Although Kansas City remains a preeminent defensive power, they’ve also lost sight of opposing quarterbacks in the ground game. Two weeks ago, Carolina Panthers quarterback Bryce Young accumulated 20 rushing yards on just three carries. In the game prior, Josh Allen burned the Chiefs for 55 yards on 12 carries. That sets the standard for what to expect from Herbert as he tries to lead his Chargers to victory at Arrowhead Stadium.

Over the past few weeks, Herbert has become a more fluid quarterback. He’s more keen on tucking and running, and he is able to effectively identify the most opportune times to do so. As much success as the Chiefs have had defensively, they haven’t been able to corral opposing quarterbacks when they decide to take off on the ground. Consequently, Herbert should be able to easily exceed 17.5 rushing yards.

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Daily Fantasy Football Week 17 NFL DFS Stacks and Picks on DraftKings and FanDuel Week 18 NFL DFS WR Picks Breakdown: Ja’Marr Chase is a Stud NFL DFS Lineup Optimizer Rules and My Favorite Angle for Sunday’s Wild Card Round Use the DraftKings promo code LABS to sign up and bet on Justin Jefferson and the Vikings vs. Bears MNF matchup.NFL Wild Card Round DFS Top Model Picks and Value Plays on DraftKings and FanDuel

About the Author

Born and raised in the barren ground of Canada, Grant White was nurtured by sports growing up. He spent years honing his betting craft before being joining FantasyLabs and Action Network in 2021. With a keen eye for value, Grant sets his sights on any perceived imbalance for a long-term winning edge.