Q: Ricky – do you see the Chargers making a trade before the deadline comes? – Ethan Ramirez
A: We'll all find out together when Oct. 30 rolls around, but history shows it's unlikely. General Manager Tom Telesco did make a deal a year ago when the Bolts shipped Dontrelle Inman to the Bears, but that was the Chargers' first in-season trade since 2007 when the team acquired WR Chris Chambers from the Dolphins for a second-round pick. However, it's a totally differently landscape these days when it comes to trades in the NFL as they've occurred at an unprecedented rate in recent years. In-season trades used to be incredibly rare, but we've already seen Carlos Hyde dealt to the Jaguars, Eli Apple to the Saints and Amari Cooper to the Cowboys, and the deadline is still a week away!
Q: How crucial is this bye week in the middle of the season? – Mario Romano
A: In my opinion, the bye couldn't come at a better time. Every year when the schedule comes out I have my fingers crossed it comes between Weeks 8-10 as it provides the perfect break to the season. It truly is a grind, both mentally and physically, so to get a week off to rest and decompress at this juncture will pay major dividends.
Q: Why is Keenan having a down year? His one touchdown is killing my fantasy team. – Shariff Jones
A: I've been doing this mailbag going on seven years, and no question has ever really bothered me before. This one really does get me kind of heated though. Keenan Allen is having another solid season, ranking among league leaders in several categories including receptions (41), receiving yards (506) and third down receptions (11). But, because it hasn't translated as well to fantasy freaking football, people think he's in the midst of an off year? That couldn't be further from the truth. I've received and seen many tweets to that effect in recent weeks, and it boggles my mind. Do you know how many touchdowns Allen had through nine games a year ago? One – the exact same as this year through seven! Oh, and he ended last season with six touchdowns. In fact, if you take Allen's stats thus far and extrapolate it over the rest of the year, 2018 would go down as the second-most productive of his career, just a hair shy of his numbers from last season. In addition, KA13's impact on the Bolts' offense overall goes beyond the stat sheet. Every team knows Allen is one of the game's top weapons, and the coverage he's drawn has opened things up for a lot of those other touchdowns from Mike Williams, Tyrell Williams and so on. Fantasy football is clearly a lot of fun, and I encourage everyone to play it, but don't let it cloud your perspective.
