The Los Angeles Chargers released their final injury report before Saturday’s Wild Card matchup in Houston against the Texans, and it had some notable designations. Trusty vet WR Joshua Palmer is out with a foot injury, and Quentin Johnston (thigh; $4,800) is questionable. Starting RB J.K. Dobbins (ankle; $6,200) is also questionable, potentially leaving the team in danger of a lack of explosiveness out of the backfield.
#LACvsHOU game status
QUESTIONABLE — Eli Apple, J.K. Dobbins, Simi Fehoko, Quentin Johnston, Denzel Perryman, Trey Pipkins III
DOUBTFUL — Ja’sir Taylor
OUT — Joshua Palmer— Los Angeles Chargers (@chargers) January 9, 2025
This designation might change your approach as you build your DraftKings DFS lineups for the NFL $1.5M Saturday Special [$500K to 1st] (Sat) contest, and potentially represents some pivot-play value.
Concerning Dobbins
Dobbins returned from an MCL sprain in Week 17, and in both of the season’s final games, he logged 41 and 48 offensive snaps. He tallied 19 and 18 rushing attempts, respectively, in both games. He’s undoubtedly the Bolts’ lead back anytime he suits up, as RB2 Hassan Haskins ($4,400) was only on the field for 28 and 29 offensive snaps for Weeks 17 and 18 (Gus Edwards ($4,300) was out with another ankle injury).
Dobbins, however, has practiced at least in a limited fashion all week. This portends well for his active/inactive status on Saturday. Edwards, however, has remained only practicing in a limited fashion—something we’ve seen throughout the last two weeks when he’s been inactive—so his questionable designation might be less window dressing and more a true indication of how his ankle is prepared for game action.
Pivot to Gus Bus or Haskins?
If Dobbins is a bit of a surprise inactive, as outline above, you can see this will leave a massive vacuum of offensive snaps in the backfield. Seeing as Edwards and Haskins are only $100 apart in DraftKings salary, it’s a bit of six-of-one, half-a-dozen-of-the-other here. Having said that, Harbaugh likes Haskins—he carried the ball 20 times for 63 yards and a touchdown in the final two weeks of the season.
Don’t forget—Haskins came from the University of Michigan, where Harbaugh coached him. And the Chargers love a big-bodied back like him to help wear down opponents’ defenses as they work clock int he second halves.
Bottom Line
If the Chargers are already this banged up, and they need to shut down Dobbins, they’ve likely seen enough to activate Edwards in desperation. But I doubt he’ll take the lion’s share of the carries in the same way Dobbins did.
As such, Haskins is still my preferred play here for just $100 more. Call it recency bias; call it nepotism. But I’d bet Harbaugh would have zero issues whatsoever handing the ball off to Wolverine-alum Haskins—also a great pass-blocker for Herbert, we should note—early and often should we see Dobbins out of pads.
Set your DraftKings DFS lineups here NFL $1.5M Saturday Special [$500K to 1st] (Sat)!
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