2014 Fantasy Football: Top 5 San Diego Chargers

Antonio Gates might not be the star he once was, but the veteran was fairly healthy and productive in 2013 with 77 receptions, 872 yards and four touchdowns. Ladarius Green will undoubtedly take opportunities away from Gates, but he should still finish the season as a top 15 tight end and is a reliable red-zone target. In a PPR league, RB Danny Woodhead would take this spot and deserves honorable mention.

Quarterback Phillip Rivers had a solid bounce-back season in 2013 under the new regime of Mike McCoy and company. With 4,478 yards, and 32 TDs to only 11 INTs, Rivers' performance in 2013 has been underrated by many, and he becomes an excellent option as a QB1 in deeper leagues, or for those fantasy owners who like to wait as long as possible to draft their QB, as he currently carries a 10th-round ADP on most host sites.

All signs point to 2014 being third-year TE Ladarius Green's breakout season in San Diego. Gates will still be productive, and the team will likely place an emphasis on two tight end sets, which can be very difficult to defend. With Keenan Allen spreading the field wide, and Ryan Mathews blossoming into the player everyone expected him to be and drawing attention, Green couldn't have a better recipe for success and should end up a top-10 TE.

Ryan Mathews had the best season of his career in 2013, going over 1,000 yards for the second time with 1,255, six rushing TDs and added one receiving TD. Expecting Mathews to exceed 1,000 yards and score 8-10 TDs overall is a fair assumption, even with Woodhead getting the majority of playing time on passing downs. While he is currently ranked by some as the 20th RB, he could easily approach top-15 and is an excellent RB2 in the fourth round.

The Chargers were pleasantly surprised by the performance of rookie WR Keenan Allen in 2013 (71 receptions, 1,046 yards and eight TDs), and there is reason to believe his sophomore campaign will be even more impressive. The Chargers' ability to draw attention to the middle of the field with their tight ends might work wonders to confuse opposing defenses and create advantages for Allen stretching the field wide. He could approach top-10 at WR.