Who Will Start at QB in Week 1 for the Los Angeles Chargers? (2020 NFL Player Prop Bets)
After 16 years with the San Diego/Los Angeles Chargers franchise and 14 seasons at the helm of the offense, quarterback Philip Rivers has now moved on to be a member of the Indianapolis Colts. As the starter of the Chargers, Rivers led them to a .500 record or better 10 times all while starting 224 consecutive games for the team. While they were never able to make it to a Super Bowl, the Rivers-era is one that will be reflected upon positively by Chargers fans.
The Chargers have moved in a new direction and while many people thought they’d land someone like Jameis Winston or Cam Newton to replace Rivers, they instead drafted quarterback Justin Herbert with their first pick in the 2020 NFL Draft. That’s set up a situation where either he or holdover Tyrod Taylor will be the starter in Week 1. Let’s take a closer look at the options and see who is the best bet.
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Tyrod Taylor
Odds To Be Week 1 Starter: -400
Despite Herbert being in town, veteran Tyrod Taylor is the odds-on favorite to be the Chargers starting quarterback in Week 1. While Taylor may not be an All-Pro, he is far from an incapable quarterback. As you may recall, Taylor is just three years removed from starting a playoff game for the Buffalo Bills, so he has the experience to be the Chargers starter.
Taylor spent four seasons backing up Joe Flacco in Baltimore after being drafted by the Ravens in 2011 before becoming the starting quarterback for the Bills in 2015. That year, Taylor became a Pro Bowl quarterback, tossing 20 touchdowns and running for another four on just over 3,000 passing yards and almost 600 rushing yards. In 2017, Taylor took the team to their first postseason appearance since 1999.
However, things quickly changed for Taylor. Despite the playoff appearance, Taylor was outed as QB1 in 2018. He started three games for the Browns in 2018 before Baker Mayfield took over, finally landing in L.A. to backup Rivers last year.
The challenge is that with Taylor, we all know that the ceiling is limited. He can take care of the ball and be a fairly good game manager. Can he consistently beat elite teams or defenses, or move the ball down the field with the game on the line? The answer has typically been ‘no’, so that’s why he’s had a limited shelf life in previous settings.
Justin Herbert
Odds To Be Week 1 Starter: +250
Los Angeles’s other option is starting the rookie, Herbert. While he may be new to the NFL, he is not new to being near the center of the football universe. Herbert became the first true freshman to start a game for Oregon in almost 30 years back in 2016, a year where he later led the Ducks to a come-back victory over then No. 11 Utah by throwing four touchdowns in the final 16 minutes of the game.
After being injured for his sophomore season, Herbert returned in 2018 as a favorite to take home the Heisman Trophy. However, the Ducks struggled as a team under their third head coach in three years and only went 9-4 – despite Herbert throwing over 3,000 yards and 29 touchdowns. Even though he was considered to be a top prospect for the 2019 NFL Draft, Herbert returned to Oregon for his senior season. Herbert then established himself worthy of his selection, leading the team to a 12-2 record and a Rose Bowl win after posting almost 3,500 passing yards and 32 touchdowns with only five interceptions.
What Herbert lacks in NFL experience he makes up for in potential. Herbert has a great arm, is a good decision-maker, and has incredible intangibles. The concern with Herbert is that he didn’t look great against elite teams last season. He is viewed as a raw rookie and maybe one who is not ready to start right away.
Prediction
I don’t love betting this prop overall because Taylor is the bet here but I don’t want to lay -400. The Chargers need to have a good season and if they don’t deliver results, that’s it for this coaching staff. That means they’re going to go with the player that is more experienced, more ready to handle things in Week 1. The rest of the team looks like it could be playoff-caliber, so as long as the quarterback doesn’t screw things up, they could be a contender for a Wild Card berth. Taylor fits that mold as someone who’ll move the chains, make safe plays, and not turn over the ball. That means he’s more likely to start in Week 1.
The Pick: Tyrod Taylor -400 at FanDuel Sportsbook
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Dave Golokhov is a featured writer at BettingPros. For more from Dave, check out his archive and follow him @davegolokhov.