James Koh of DIRECTV's "Fantasy Zone" joined Thursday's episode of “Chargers Weekly” to discuss where to value key members of the Bolts offense in upcoming fantasy drafts.
Highlights from the conversation are below. For more on quarterback Tyrod Taylor and wide receivers Keenan Allen and Mike Williams, listen to the full interview with Koh by subscribing to the Chargers Podcast Network, wherever you listen to podcasts.
On running back Austin Ekeler (22:45)
"Yeah, it's insane to me, you know the fact that we got a guy out here who's a great running back - I truly believe that, but is one of the elite receivers in the NFL, too. People talk about [Carolina RB] Christian McCaffrey and of course that's well deserved, no doubt about it. But right behind Christian McCaffrey in terms of being an overall running back, it's got to be Austin Ekeler.
"The guy, again as you mentioned, just a handful of catches short of 100 catches. And the catches he's making, too – deep downfield, down the sideline, as a slot receiver – they're working him everywhere. It's not like he's just catching dump-offs … and being asked to work upfield. No, they're using him as a receiver because he has elite athleticism and his technique – the technique that he's picking up over the past couple of years as a receiver – is also translating on the field as well."
On tight end Hunter Henry (32:25)
"You can grab him double-digit rounds no problems, and if we're talking about tight ends that have that upside it's got to be Hunter Henry. The thing I love about his role in this offense is that it's so well defined. You know what the pecking order is in terms of where the targets are going to be distributed. You know Keenan Allen's going to get all the underneath stuff. You know Mike Williams is going to get all the over-the-top stuff. And then, Hunter Henry is your go-to tight end.
"… So, to me it's a very clear structure in terms of how the offense is organized, and I really like that. And I think Hunter Henry can absolutely ball out. We know he's got the talent. … He absolutely needs to stay on the field. The Chargers need him to stay on the field because he's that talented, and I'm really looking forward to his prospects here in 2020. He's a guy that I'm absolutely targeting in fantasy drafts."
