God, this hurts to say, but after tonight, we will officially be at the halfway point of the NFL season. Still, we’re not getting too far ahead of ourselves, and we’re embracing Monday night football for what it is — an opportunity for the Los Angeles Chargers and New York Jets to re-assert themselves as playoff contenders. Both teams are on the edge of a postseason berth, with the Chargers (3-4) slightly further back than the Jets (4-3). Conference games are worth so much in the tiebreaking procedure neither team can afford to slip up in this one.
This article will discuss 3-5 of my favorite pick’ems from various DFS sites like Betr, Sleeper Fantasy, PrizePicks, and Underdog Fantasy.
Don’t forget to leverage our simulations tool from our projections team to identify where the biggest edges are — and you can see more projection picks here.
Also, you can claim a $100 deposit match at Betr using Betr Picks promo code LABSMAX, and you can use Sleeper Fantasy promo code LABS1 for another $100 deposit match.
And check out our PrizePicks referral code or Underdog Fantasy promo code for more details.
Try Our New SimLabs Tool!
We’re excited to announce the launch of our new NFL DFS simulations tool! Try SimLabs for FREE while it’s still in beta.
Chargers-Jets NFL Fantasy Pick’ems
Breece Hall Lower 13.5 Rushing Attempts
Rushing the ball hasn’t been a priority for the Jets this season. By percentage, New York calls the seventh-fewest rushing plays per game, resulting in just 22.4 rushing plays. That’s unlikely to change as they try to keep pace with the high-octane Chargers on Monday.
Breece Hall has been effective when called upon; however, he’s taken on a diminished role in the Jets offense, with fewer opportunities to carry the ball. Hall hasn’t played more than 66.2% of snaps this season, typically hovering around the 50.0% mark. Predictably, this has had a significant impact on his rushing yards total. So far this season, Hall has fallen below 56 rushing yards in five of his seven outings, averaging just 63.3 yards per game.
The diminished rushing output is a direct reflection of Hall’s limited carries. The former Iowa State Cyclone has attempted 12 or fewer carries in all but one game this year, averaging a paltry 11.1 per game. That will make it hard for him to surpass his rushing yards props against the Chargers.
Whether by design or not, Hall is being used scarcely in the Jets’ game-planning. He’s sharing the backfield with Dalvin Cook, and New York is passing the ball more frequently as they are constantly playing from behind. All those factors contribute to Hall staying below 13.5 rushing attempts in Week 9.
Joshua Kelley Higher 22.5 Rushing Yards
Joshua Kelley hasn’t been a priority since Austin Ekeler returned. Nevertheless, Brandon Staley is still finding ways to incorporate the fourth-year pro into the game-planning. Just a few carries is all that should be needed for Kelley to eclipse his rushing yards prop against an inept Jets run defense.
Kelley is finding new ways of trampling defenses this year. The Chargers running back is averaging a career-best 4.3 yards per carry, breaking off yards in bigger chunks. Kelley’s game-long rush has been 14 yards or higher in four of his seven outings, with his season-best coming on a 49-yard jaunt against the Kansas City Chiefs a couple of weeks ago.
The Jets haven’t had an answer for any opponent this year, and that won’t change against the two-headed monster of Ekeler and Kelley. New York sits second-last in rushing yards allowed, giving up an average of 144.9 per game. Worse, just last week, the Jets gave up running plays of ten or more yards to Saquon Barkley, Tyrod Taylor, and Wan’Dale Robinson. That brings the total up to 17 different players who have crossed the ten-yard threshold on one carry against the Jets.
He won’t be a focus, but Kelley will see more than a few carries against the Jets. Considering their leaky standard, Kelley should have no problem exceeding 22.5 rushing yards.
Austin Ekeler Higher 46.5 Rushing Yards
We’re not stopping with Kelley’s rushing yards, as many of the same rules apply to Ekeler’s total on Monday night. Although Ekeler has featured more in the passing game since returning, he’s been a wrecking ball nonetheless. The 28-year-old should have plenty of space to run, kicking the rushing attack back into gear.
Ekeler opened the year with an overwhelming 117 rushing yards on 16 carries against the Miami Dolphins. Since then, he’s taken on some of the stiffest run defenses in the league, trying to poke holes in the Chiefs’, Dallas Cowboys’, and Chicago Bears’ defensive fronts. Ekeler hasn’t been able to replicate that Week 1 performance, but he’ll have a lot more leeway against the Jets.
Giving up yards in big chunks is just one of the many weaknesses plaguing the Jets. Opposing running backs are also running rampant over them. Saquon Barkley is the latest rusher to terrorize them, putting up a season-best 128 yards in Week 8. Before that, Isiah Pacheo, Jaleel McLaughlin, and even Jalen Hurts all had monumental rushing performances against them.
Kelley isn’t the only beneficiary of the Jets’ defensive deficiencies. The Chargers continue to feed the ball to Ekeler regularly, and although he hasn’t responded with a daring rushing performance since Week 1, he should be able to break out versus New York. We’re going higher than 46.5 rushing yards.
Tyler Conklin Higher 2.5 Receptions
The Jets rush defense woes are analogous to the Chargers’ passing defense inefficiencies. Los Angeles is far and away the worst pass defense in the NFL, giving up an average of 297.4 yards per game. Zach Wilson will be looking to exploit that weakness, turning to a familiar target to keep pace with LA.
Tyler Conklin has solidified himself as a top pass-catching option for the Jets. The tight end has been a featured member of the passing attack, absorbing four or more targets in five of seven outings. More importantly, he’s hauled in at least three receptions in all five of those outings for a nice 69.0% catch rate.
Everyone is going off against the Chargers’ secondary, but tight ends have been particularly exceptional. Cole Kmet led all Bears receivers last week with 79 yards on 10 catches. That was the second straight week that an opposing TE led their team in receptions and receiving yards, and the fifth time a tight end has recorded at least three catches.
Conklin is coming off his worst outing of the season, failing to soak either of his two targets last week. He should bounce back in a big way, exceeding 2.5 receptions against the Chargers.
