The Chargers held the Chiefs to 294 yards of offense in a 29-28 victory in Week 15. They'll host the Ravens on Saturday.

Analysis: Kansas City was still able to put up 28 points, but the Chargers contained them enough to give their offense a chance to grab the win. The Chargers rank eighth in the league in total defense (329.1 YPG) and ninth in scoring defense (21.3 PPG), and will be facing a Ravens offense that is averaging 217 rushing yards in the last five games with Lamar Jackson under center. There should be some opportunities for takeaways, as the rookie quarterback has thrown three interceptions and lost three of…read more

The Chargers held the Bengals to 295 total yards of offense during Sunday's 26-21 win.

Analysis: It wasn't Los Angeles' best performance as they failed to force a turnover, but the result was what the doctor ordered. Following the win, the Chargers will have to quickly regroup with Kansas City up next on a short week. The Ravens gave the Chiefs some troubles for most of last week's contest, perhaps both proving a strong defensive unit can limit the explosiveness of Andy Reid's offense and, more importantly, outlining a potential blueprint for knocking off the Chiefs. Regardless the truth…read more

The Chargers boast the league's seventh-ranked scoring defense (20.8 PPG) entering Week 14.

Analysis: The Chargers have been a bit overshadowed this season given their LA counterpart, but the emergence of Derwin James as one of the league's best safeties has certainly been widely publicized. Perhaps last week's performance was somewhat unsettling from a defensive standpoint, but the Chargers are still an elite-caliber defensive unit as we enter December football. Only five teams have scored over 20 points against Los Angeles this season. With A.J. Green (foot) out for the year, the Bengals…read more

The Chargers held the Cardinals to just 149 total yards during last week's 45-10 rout over Arizona. Los Angeles will face Pittsburgh in Week 13.

Analysis: The performance last week was suffocating to say the least. Los Angeles made Arizona look completely lost and effectively reduced the threat of David Johnson by jumping out to a commanding lead in the second quarter. The Chargers defense has been stellar over the last couple of months, helping to quietly piece together one of the best seasons across football. Los Angeles has smothered opposing offenses, limiting its opposition to fewer than 20 points in six of its last seven contests. With Joey…read more

The Chargers enter their Week 12 game against the Cardinals with the seventh-ranked defense in points allowed (20.9 per game).

Analysis: Los Angeles has been even better of late, allowing a mere 14.8 points over the last six games, and now have a matchup with the Cardinals bottom-tiered offense this week. Arizona ranks among the four worst offenses in the league with 14.5 PPG, 240.5 YPG and 21 giveaways. Rookie QB Josh Rosen has flashed his first-round pedigree, but has often struggled to lead an offense that relies heavily on RB David Johnson and WR Larry Fitzgerald. Joey Bosa (foot) made his season debut with limited snaps…read more

The Chargers boast the league's eighth-best scoring defense (20.7 PPG) entering their Week 11 matchup with the Broncos.

Analysis: The Chargers have been rolling during their six-game win streak. The offense has justifiably received much of the praise for the turnaround following a 1-2 start, but the defense deserves recognition for its strong performance week in and week out. Following last week's 20-6 win over the Raiders, Los Angeles has now kept opponents below 20 points in each of its last five games. The Chargers seem to be peaking at the right time to make a deep postseason run. Given Denver's recent struggles, it's…read more

The Chargers enter their Week 10 matchup with the Raiders ranked as the league's 12th-best scoring defense (22.5 PPG).

Analysis: Winners of each of their last five games, the Chargers have gotten off to the host start thanks in large part to the emergence of a solid, sustainable defense. For years the Chargers' shortcomings have revolved around defensive struggles, but that no longer seems the be the case. Keep in mind, Los Angeles is 6-2 without Joey Bosa (foot). There is reason to expect this team could compete for the AFC crown come January should it stay the course. As for Sunday, the Chargers seem like a solid play…read more

Chargers defensive end Joey Bosa (foot) is closing in on a return to game action.

Analysis: Whether Bosa plays this week seems largely up in the air at this juncture in time. From a fantasy perspective, it's best to expect his absence when projecting an outlook for the Chargers' defense this week. Los Angeles has actually stepped it up over the last month limiting opponents to fewer than 20 points in each of its last three contests. Sunday's trip to Seattle will present a hostile environment, but it's not like the Chargers are used to playing in front of a home crowd on a weekly basis…read more

The Chargers rank ninth in the league with 10 takeaways heading into Sunday's game against the Titans in London.

Analysis: The Chargers have allowed only 24 points and forced four turnovers against the Raiders and Browns the last two weeks and get another quality matchup against a scuffling Titans offense Week 7. Tennessee ranks near the bottom of the league in points scored (14.5 per game), yards (262.7) and sacks allowed (20), and totaled a mere 106 yards while giving up 11 sacks while being shut out by the Ravens last week. Los Angeles opened the season against two of the best offenses in the league -- the Rams…read more

The Chargers enter their Week 6 matchup with the Browns ranked 21st in scoring defense (26.0 points per game).

Analysis: Los Angeles is eagerly awaiting the return of Joey Bosa (foot) but will have to push through a little longer without their star pass rusher. The Chargers are fresh off their best defensive performance of the season, having limited the Raiders to just 10 points in Week 5. The 289 yards were also the fewest given up by Los Angeles this season. Sunday's trip to Cleveland should present an opportunity for the Los Angeles defense to convince fantasy owners of its worth. While Cleveland is no longer…read more

The Chargers currently rank 28th in the NFL in scoring defense (30.0 points per game).

Analysis: A big reason for the Chargers' struggles pertains to the fact that they've faced perhaps the league's best offenses in the Rams and Chiefs in two of their first four games. But even against the lowly Bills and a Jimmy Garoppolo-less 49ers squad, the Los Angeles defense has surrendered at least 20 points. The drop-off without Joey Bosa (foot) was expected, but it's probably a bit steeper than most might have anticipated. The draw against the Raiders will present the Chargers with a good…read more

The Chargers rank 31st in scoring defense (31.0 PPG).

Analysis: The Chargers defensive struggles have headlined the team's 1-2 start. While there's no denying the team has endured its fair share of defensive breakdowns, there aren't too many defenses capable of stymying the likes of Kansas City and the Rams. Outside of arguably the league's best two offenses, the Chargers defense has held its own. Sure there's no Joey Bosa (foot) for at least a few more weeks, but there's reason to expect Los Angeles to turn it around sooner rather than later. For starters,…read more

Chargers defensive end Joey Bosa (foot) will not play in Sunday's game against the Rams.

Analysis: The cross-town matchup will mark the first game between the two Los Angeles-based teams. Even if Bosa was to play, the Rams offense resembles that of a juggernaut and is a group that makes most defensive coordinators turn blue just thinking about them. Led by Todd Gurley and Jared Goff, the Rams have eclipsed the 30-point mark in each of their first two games this year. There's no reason to believe things will take a left turn for Sean McVay's offense anytime soon.

Chargers defensive end Joey Bosa (foot) is listed as questionable for Sunday's game against the Bills.

Analysis: Bosa's absence during Week 1 action was a bit surprising as most reports leading up to Sunday's game pointed towards his availability. While Bosa is a game-changer on a variety of levels, it's unlikely that his presence would have changed Sunday's outcome against the Chiefs. The Chargers had no answers for Kansas City's speed on the outside and newly-minted starter Patrick Mahomes looked like a savvy veteran as he carved Los Angeles every which way during his 2018 debut. Fortunately for the…read more

Defensive lineman Corey Liuget (knee) and linebacker Denzel Perryman (hamstring) are both listed as questionable for Sunday's game against the Raiders.

Analysis: The Chargers defense is coming off quality performance against the Jets in which they allowed only seven points, had three sacks and forced three turnover. Meanwhile, the Raiders fell apart in the fourth quarter against the Eagles in Week 16 with three turnovers and have failed to score more than 17 points in each of the past three games. Oakland ranks 28th in the NFL with 26 giveaways, but protect QB Derek Carr fairly well, having given up only 22 sacks this season. The Chargers rank top five…read more

Linebacker Denzel Perryman won't play in Sunday's game against the Jets due to a hamstring injury.

Analysis: Defensive tackle Corey Liuget (knee) has also been ruled out, and the pair represents a significant loss for the Chargers defense. Week 15 at Kansas City proved a unfavorable matchup for Los Angeles, but Sunday's game against the Jets provides a much better opportunity. New York's awful has been downright pitiful since QB Josh McCown (hand) was lost for the season, with new starter Bryce Petty completing 21 of 48 pass attempts for 193 yards, one touchdown and two interceptions since taking…read more

Cornerback Casey Hayward is listed as questionable for Sunday's game at Kansas City with a calf injury.

Analysis: Hayward has been one of the best cornerbacks in the league since joining the Chargers, and his absence would likely leave Chiefs' WR Tyreek Hill with a much improved matchup. The Kansas City offense has been severely hot-and-cold this season, but have scored 57 points over the past two games, with Hill playing a major role in that success. The Chargers feature the second-best scoring defense in the NFL (17.3 points per game), but allow the third-most rushing yards per game (124.8), and the…read more

Chargers cornerback Casey Hayward is dealing with a hamstring injury ahead of Sunday's game against the Redskins.

Analysis: The Chargers have only conceded 16 combined points over their last two games. To say the defense is in a groove would be an understatement. But, one of those teams was the Browns and the other was a struggling Dallas squad. Can the Chargers defense keep up their good fortunes against a Kirk Cousins' Washington team? Conventional wisdom might say yes, but there's reason to believe otherwise. The Redskins have eclipsed 20-plus points in eight of the team's 12 contests this year. With a potential…read more

Cornerback Casey Hayward is listed as questionable for Sunday's game against the Browns as he left the team earlier this week to tend to the death of his younger brother.

Analysis: Hayward has been one of the best cornerbacks in the NFL the past two seasons and would represent a big loss for the Chargers defense, but this remains an appetizing fantasy matchup regardless of his availability Sunday. The Browns are averaging a league-worst 15.1 points per game and QB Deshone Kizer leads the NFL with 14 interceptions thrown. The Chargers defense has played quite well over the last six weeks, and that should continue in Week 13 as they face the worst offense in the NFL.

Inside linebacker Hayes Pullard is questionable for Thursday's game against the Cowboys with a neck injury.

Analysis: Pullard missed last Sunday's win over the Bills, but was a full practice participant Tuesday and Wednesday. The Chargers' Thanksgiving matchup comes against a reeling Cowboys offense which has scored only 16 points in two games since Ezekiel Elliott began serving his six-game suspension, but the absence of left tackle Tyron Smith (groin/back) has been similarly influential. Smith is listed as questionable for Thursday's game but is expected to play, which is huge as the Cowboy's offensive line…read more