Fantasy Football Player Notes

McConkey was wildly efficient as a rookie, averaging 2.59 yards per route run and 10.3 yards per target en route to an 82-catch, 1,149-yard season. McConkey only had 112 targets in 16 games, and there might not be much room for target growth in Greg Roman's slow-paced, run-heavy offense -- and the Chargers' early-August signing of Keenan Allen won't help in that regard. McConkey offers a sturdy floor, but his ceiling may not be as high as some people imagine.

Omarion Hampton piled up 3,164 rushing yards and 30 TD runs over his last two seasons at North Carolina and had 67 receptions over that span. The 220-pound Hampton is a powerful downhill runner who's a nightmare to bring down when he has a full head of steam. He's terrific between the tackles, squeezing through tight spaces and powering through contact. The Chargers grabbed Hampton at No. 22 in the draft. With Najee Harris not yet recovered from the eye injury he sustained in a Fourth of July fireworks mishap, it's possible Hampton could handle an enormous workload for the Chargers right away.

Justin Herbert is widely regarded as an above-average or very good starting QB, but his offensive environment isn't conducive to big fantasy numbers. Under offensive coordinator Greg Roman, the Chargers had the 10th run-heaviest offense in the league last season. They also operated at the second slowest pace in the league last season. Herbert averaged only 29.6 pass attempts per game and finished the season with 3,870 passing yards, 23 TD passes and only three interceptions. He added 306 rushing yards and two TD runs. WR Ladd McConkey was a revelation as a rookie, the Chargers added promising WR Tre Harris in this year's draft, and they re-signed veteran slot receiver Keenan Allen in early August. Weaponry shouldn't be an issue for the talented Herbert, but a run-heavy approach and a sluggish offensive pace will likely keep Herbert from being anything more than an average fantasy quarterback.

The fantasy value of Najee Harris is always tied closely to his workload. He logged 381 touches as a rookie in 2021, had 1,667 yards from scrimmage and 10 touchdowns, and finished RB3 in half-point PPR fantasy scoring. Harris has gotten around 300 touches in each of the last three seasons and has finished in RB2 range (though he hasn't fared quite as well in fantasy points per game). Now, Harris has landed with the Chargers and will have to compete for touches with first-round rookie Omarion Hampton. The smart money is on Hampton to finish the season with more touches, but that's not guaranteed. And even if Harris is the 1B in the Chargers' backfield, he could still be a useful fantasy asset in what figures to be one of the NFL's run-heaviest offenses. The ultra-durable Harris still hasn't missed a game in four NFL seasons. Further complicating the outlook for Harris is a fireworks mishap that landed him on the non-football injury list for the start of training camp with what was described as a "superficial eye injury."

Keenan Allen has returned to the Chargers, signing a one-year deal in early August. The 33-year-old Allen had 70-744-7 in 15 games for the Bears last season. It seems reasonable to expect similar numbers for 2025, although Greg Roman's run-heavy offense and the presence of young star Ladd McConkey probably caps Allen's ceiling at the WR4 level for fantasy.

Harris, the soul-snatching route savant, landed with the Bolts in the second round of the NFL Draft. His 2025 outlook took a massive hit with Los Angeles signing Keenan Allen. It bumps Harris from a starting spot in three wide immediately to a situation where he is competing with Quentin Johnston for starting reps. Harris has the talent to beat out Johnston, but it's not a slam dunk that the Bolts coaching staff will give him every down run over Johnston weekly. Harris ranked first and ninth in yards per route run over the last two years (per PFF). He's sadly a final-round dart only in redraft now.

Quentin Johnston was a fantasy football surprise in 2024. After a troubling rookie season, he finished as the WR37 in fantasy points per game last year with eight total touchdowns (13th-most). His season-ending stats do lie, though. Last year, he finished with 711 receiving yards, but he racked up 26.1% of that (186 receiving yards) in Week 18. In Weeks 1-17, he had an 18.1% target share and 23.1% first-read share, but he had only 37.5 receiving yards per game, 1.55 yards per route run, and 0.077 first downs per route run to show for it (per Fantasy Points Data). Last year, in Weeks 1-17, he ranked 91st out of 107 qualifying receivers in separation. With the arrival of Keenan Allen, Johnston will now fight with Tre Harris for snaps in three wide receiver formations this season. Johnston is a final round of your draft flyer only.

Cameron Dicker is a locked-in top-five option at the position for fantasy. Dicker was the K4 last year, ranking seventh in percentage of field goals made, third in field goal attempts, and tenth in extra point attempts. The Bolts' offense should take another step forward in 2025.

A top-10 DST in 2024, the Chargers should be a viable matchup play in 2025. Week 1 isn't great versus KC (Taking place in Brazil), but LAC follows that matchup with games against the Raiders, Broncos and Giants. They also finished last season with 9 dropped interceptions, despite finishing with the 8th-most picks overall (5th in passes defended). Derius Davis also offers value for the Chargers special teams (6th in total returns last season).

KeAndre Lambert-Smith quietly put together one of the most underrated profiles in the 2025 rookie WR class. After four years at Penn State, he transferred to Auburn and broke out in a big way, posting a 31% dominator rating with a 50-981-8 receiving line. It's rare to see a player switch to the SEC and immediately produce, but Lambert-Smith finished top-5 in the conference in total receiving yards and averaged nearly 20 yards per catch. Drafted in the 5th round by the Chargers, Lambert-Smith lands in a favorable spot as a downfield weapon for Justin Herbert.