Los Angeles Chargers

Los Angeles Chargers rookie wide receiver Ladd McConkey is back at full strength for a Week 16 Thursday night game against the Denver Broncos. McConkey missed the game in Week 14 with shoulder and knee injuries, but he was able to return in Week 15 and is off the injury report completely this week. In his Week 15 return, he caught five passes for 58 yards and a touchdown and remained the usual first look for quarterback Justin Herbert. McConkey has a tough matchup against a strong Denver secondary, but he's still in the WR2 conversation because of target share and the potential for the Chargers to once again abandon the running game and go with a pass-heavy approach.

Los Angeles Chargers rookie running back Kimani Vidal is far too risky to start in a key fantasy matchup like Week 16. The Chargers take on the Denver Broncos on Thursday Night Football, and the Broncos defense has been tough on opposing running backs all season long. Vidal has shown some flashes in his rookie campaign, but he's still behind Gus Edwards for touches and the Chargers offense has shown lately that they will quickly abandon the running game if it is not working. There's certainly some upside with Vidal, but his floor is very low which makes him far too volatile without the possible payoff for this week's lineups.

Los Angeles Chargers running back Gus Edwards is not in the fantasy starter conversation in a Week 16 Thursday Night Football game against the Denver Broncos. Edwards is the top running back on the Chargers depth chart, but he's been horribly inefficient all season which has forced the Chargers to rely more on the passing game since starter J.K. Dobbins (knee) went down with an injury. Last week, Edwards ran the ball eight times for just 23 yards and he has yet to score double digit fantasy points in any game this season. The Broncos defense has stopped top running backs before, so Edwards has a low floor and almost no ceiling. He is best left on the bench in this key fantasy week.

Los Angeles Chargers quarterback Justin Herbert has been removed from the injury report for Week 16 and is good to go for a Thursday Night Football game against the division-rival Denver Broncos. Despite an ankle injury that was clearly affecting his play in Week 15 and kept him limited in practice all week until Wednesday, Herbert will go into the game without an injury designation. He's been far less mobile due to the injury, but he still played well in terms of things he could control against Tampa Bay last week. The Broncos defense is tough against opposing quarterbacks, so Herbert's ceiling is limited by both his ankle and his opponent. Still, he'll likely need to lead the offense with his arm since the Bolts backfield hasn't done much of anything in the run game. Herbert is a safe QB2 option with some possible upside in what should be a close game.

The Los Angeles Chargers have listed tight end Hayden Hurst (hip) as questionable and ruled tight end Will Dissly (shoulder) out for Thursday's game against the Denver Broncos. Hurst has been on the injured reserve since suffering a hip injury during Week 9, and seeing him log two straight full practices this week suggests he has a great chance to return on Thursday. Dissly was out last weekend with a shoulder injury and was unable to participate in any practices this week. With both tight ends battling injuries, Stone Smart led the way last weekend, tallying 50 yards on five receptions. Hurst should be expected to reclaim the top role if he can return on Thursday. Before his IR stint, Hurst only averaged a mere 14.8 yards per game, which could open the door for Smart to see an increased No.2 role. Given the uncertainty, Hurst is best to leave out of your lineup, while Smart should only be started if Hurst cannot play.