The 5 and 3 Los Angeles Chargers are 7.5 favorites as they take on the 2 and 6 Tennessee Titans at SoFi Stadium this Sunday. Despite the big gap in the team’s records, it takes a herculean effort to outscore NFL teams by more than a touchdown, but that is exactly what the Chargers have done in each of their five wins this season.
In their latest predictions, fantasy sleepers, upset picks, and buzz article ESPN picked two players they expect to lead them to their next victory; edge rusher Tuli Tuipulotu and wide receiver Quentin Johnston. Both players were selected in the 2023 draft — Johnston in the first round and Tuipulotu in the second.
Here is there case for the two;
Two Chargers Sophomores Lead The Way Vs. Titans
For most of the season, Tuipulotu has struggled. He has just a 6.2% pass rush win rate at edge for the season, which ranks 49th out of 51 edge rushers. And through seven games, he had yet to record a sack. But then over the past two weeks, the Chargers’ second-year pass rusher has 3.5 sacks. And now he has a great chance to build on that.
Tuipulotu should mostly draw Nicholas Petit-Frere, whose 80.7% pass block win rate ranks 63rd out of 67 tackles in pass block win rate. And Tuipulotu will be chasing down Will Levis, who has a high 10% career sack rate. So even though Tuipulotu’s numbers this season have been poor, my sack model gives him a 41% chance to get at least half a sack in Week 10. Plus, if Khalil Mack (groin) sits out the game, Tuipulotu could be in for more playing time.
Johnston returned from a two-game absence and put up his seco
nd-best fantasy outing of the season with 22.0 points against against the Browns. Though the Chargers are passing more, Johnston is still averaging only 4.5 targets. He also has a challenging matchup against a Titans defense that has been tough on wide receivers.
But he’s projected for the second-most targets in this game behind Ladd McConkey,
