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The Week 8 matchup between the San Diego Chargers and the Denver Broncos features division rivals going head-to-head in a Week 6 rematch. We've got the fantasy projections courtesy of numberFire.
San Diego Chargers
Tight end Hunter Henry participated in a limited practice session on Wednesday. It’s a good sign, considering he suffered a concussion in the team’s Week 7 win over the Atlanta Falcons. As long as Henry can play in Denver, he’ll be guaranteed to put up solid numbers. In Week 6, he finished with six catches for 83 yards and a touchdown. It’s clear Henry has supplanted Antonio Gates as the team’s top pass-catching tight end. Henry should see regular targets in Week 8 while the Broncos focus on keeping the football down the middle of the field, away from Denver’s top-notch cornerbacks.
When coach Mike McCoy calls for a running play, sophomore back Melvin Gordon will handle the workload. After being held out of the end zone in two straight games, Gordon found a pair of touchdowns against the Falcons in Week 7. Although he is certainly producing at a much higher pace in his second year, the yards-per-carry average for Gordon is still fairly low. It’s currently at 3.3 yards. Running back coach Ollie Wilson says it may be time to lighten his workload. That certainly isn’t good for Gordon’s Week 8 fantasy value, although it may help him sustain his level of play for the rest of the season.
Denver Broncos
There’s a chance running back C.J. Anderson misses the remainder of the year with meniscus surgery. Fantasy owners who jumped to pick up Devontae Booker on the waiver wire recently certainly hope that’s the case. Booker rushed 17 times for 83 yards and a touchdown against the Houston Texans in Week 7. He’ll be facing a Chargers team that ranks 31st in the NFL in fantasy points allowed to running backs. Even if he doesn’t get a full complement of carries, Booker will still likely put up points in a time-share situation on Sunday. His floor and his ceiling are both high right now. Booker should crush his projected totals in Week 8.
When quarterback Trevor Siemian has to throw the ball down the field, wide receiver Demaryius Thomas will be the likely recipient of his passes. Thomas’ yardage totals have been negatively impacted by a conservative passing game. He has been held under 50 receiving yards in five out of seven games this season. The good news is Thomas has scored a touchdown in four out of the last five games. He also found the end zone for a two-point conversion back in Week 2. As long as he continues to get looks in the red zone, Thomas will produce. Surpassing 50 receiving yards, however, might prove to be a difficult challenge. The Chargers held him to five catches for 35 yards two weeks ago.