Week 14 SNF Kansas City Chiefs vs. Los Angeles Chargers prediction and fantasy outlook feat. Isiah Pacheco, Justin Herbert

The AFC West is turning out to be a fascinating division and the Kansas City Chiefs and the Los Angeles Chargers are leading the charge.

The Chiefs are not a surprise. They are the two-time defending Super Bowl champions. They have the best quarterback in the league, Patrick Mahomes. They have a pugnacious defense led by coordinator Steve Spagnuolo. Andy Reid's wiliness in play-calling marks him out across the league. They are 11-1 entering this matchup, are currently the top seed in the AFC, and have key players like Isiah Pacheco returning from injury at the right time.

The Chargers will not find it easy. But the good news is that they look like a playoff team and have an 8-4 record themselves. They know that they must win this matchup as they have the Broncos with the same win record as them and are only behind based on an extra loss. They know that Kansas City will be jittery too knowing that the Bills are breathing down their necks for the top spot in the conference and would hope to use that to their advantage.

Chiefs vs. Chargers prediction

The Chiefs have struggled on offense this year with key receivers and running backs out for the majority of the season. Instead, they have had to rely on their defense to win games. The 311.9 yards that they allow per game is in the top half of the league. The 87.8 rushing yards they leak per match is exceptional and puts them firmly among the top three run defenses. Therefore, it will be up to Justin Herbert to throw and win this game for Los Angeles.

The Chargers' defense allows 325.8 yards per game with 206.4 yards coming through the air and 119.4 accounted for on the ground. It shows that the way to beat them is with a strong running game and Isiah Pacheco's return only enhances that with Kareem Hunt a more-than-capable backup.

The last time these two teams met, the Chiefs emerged 17-10 winners. Given the Chargers are in the bottom half of the NFL when it comes to passing offense, averaging less than 200 yards per game, we expect their points outcome to be similar again this time as Kansas City loads up against the run. However, we expect Andy Reid's offense to score one more touchdown than they did last time since they are at home. Our prediction, accordingly, is given below.

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Prediction: Chiefs 24 - 10 Chargers

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Chiefs vs. Chargers fantasy outlook

If the Chargers are to be remotely competitive in this game, it will have to come down to the brilliance of Ladd McConkey on offense. The wide receiver is the only legitimate output for Justin Herbert.

For the Chiefs, Travis Kelce has had more than 60 yards in the past few weeks and should be a good bet. Isiah Pacheco looked good in the few carries he had on his return and could see a bigger workload. Fantasy football managers should also consider the Kansas City defense as a unit.

Where to watch Chiefs vs. Chargers on cable

This fascinating Week 14 matchup should be a proper old-school AFC West divisional football game. There are huge implications for the divisional and conference playoff race based on how this clash ends. Here are the details for those who want to follow along on Sunday night.

• Day & Date: Sunday, Dec. 8, 2024
• Time: 8:20 p.m. ET
• Location: Kansas City, Michigan
• Venue: GEHA Field at Arrowhead Stadium
• Streaming: NBC

For those viewers who prefer a streaming device, they can follow along on FuboTV or Peacock.