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Raiders: RB Michael Bush, K Sebastian Janikowski

Chargers: QB Philip Rivers, RB Ryan Mathews, RB Mike Tolbert, WR Vincent Jackson, TE Antonio Gates, K Nick Novak

Quick slants: With Darren McFadden out with a foot injury, Bush will be the Raiders' featured back. He ran for 96 yards on 19 carries and caught two passes for 33 yards and a touchdown last week. ... Janikowski has made 13 of 14 field-goal attempts, is perfect on 19 PATs and has 58 points in seven games. ... Rivers has been disappointing (11 TD passes and 14 interceptions), but he's thrown for 2,469 yards, including 754 in his last two. He had four TD passes and three interceptions last week against the defensively challenged Packers. ... Mathews is expected to play after missing last week with a groin injury. He has rushed for 509 yards and has 30 catches for 342 yards in seven games. He hasn't scored a touchdown in his last four games. ... Even if Mathews starts tonight, Tolbert should get about 15 touches. He has six TDs on the year and has reached the end zone twice in his last two contests. ... Jackson had seven receptions for 141 yards and three TDs last week. ... In three games since returning from a foot injury, Gates has 17 receptions for 223 yards and two scores. He had eight catches for 96 yards and a TD on Sunday. ... Novak has been prolific in place of the injured Nate Kaeding, making 16 of 17 field goals and all 17 of his PATs. He is averaging 9.3 points per game.

SIT

Raiders: QB Carson Palmer, WR Darrius Heyward-Bey, WR Jacoby Ford, defense/special teams

Chargers: WR Malcom Floyd, defense/special teams

Quick slants: Palmer has thrown six interceptions in two games with the Raiders. ... Heyward-Bey has been productive, but he was shut out last week, and the Raiders' passing attack is too unreliable. ... Ford had five receptions for 105 yards and a TD last week, but he had only 11 catches for 114 yards and zero TDs prior to his breakout game. ... The Raiders' defense ranks 27th in yards allowed per game (386.5) and 30th in points allowed (27.0). ... Floyd is expected to sit tonight because of a hip injury. If he's active, I'd keep him on my bench. ... The Chargers' defense ranks seventh in yards allowed (311.6), but is 27th in points (25.5), tied for 20th in sacks (17) and has forced only 11 turnovers.

Prior to the season, the last four words of the headline above would have seemed about as likely as Shonn Greene getting outplayed by LaDainian Tomlinson, Jamaal Charles getting 11 carries per game, John Kuhn being a factor in Green Bay's featured back equation and Felix Jones and C.J. Spiller being less exciting than the WB's prime-time lineup.

Wait, all of that has happened? Let's just move on.

Tolbert, a 5-foot-9, 243-pound fullback and special-teamer in his first two seasons with the Chargers, might be the featured back Sunday at Seattle.

Rookie Ryan Mathews was limited to five carries last week because of a high ankle sprain, and he's missed practice this week because of the ailment. Thursday, NFL.com reported it was unlikely he would play against the Seahawks.

Enter Tolbert, who had 16 carries for 82 yards and two touchdowns in Week 2 -- pretty impressive for a back who had 38 rushing attempts in 29 games in his first two NFL seasons.

The Seahawks rank fifth against the run, but since Tolbert, and not Darren Sproles, should get the goal-line carries, I'd consider the former a No. 2 fantasy back this week.

Sproles is most effective in point-per-reception leagues. He had 45 catches, compared to 93 rushing attempts, last season. In Week 2, even with Mathews missing most of the game, he had only five rushing attempts, but piled up 100 total yards (37 rushing, 63 receiving) and caught four passes.

Sproles is a decent flex play in deeper leagues this week if Mathews sits.

As for Tolbert, should Mathews miss more than one game, San Diego's schedule is very favorable in Weeks 4, 5 and 6. The opponents -- the Cardinals, Raiders and Rams -- rank 31st, 29th and 30th, respectively, against the run this season.

I believe in Mike.

In our News-Herald PPR league, six of the top seven backs thus far are Jahvid Best, Arian Foster, Matt Forte, LeSean McCoy, Darren McFadden and Jason Snelling.

Tolbert should fit right in.