Ladd McConkey

Last year was a disappointing season for Ladd McConkey. He finished as the WR34 in fantasy points per game, with eight weeks outside the top 36 wide receivers in weekly scoring. The hype is heavy this draft season for McConkey to post monster numbers in Mike McDaniel's offense. I love McConkey's talent, but find myself lower than the market and expectations for McConkey this season. Last year, among 109 qualifying receivers, he ranked 41st in separation and 15th in route win rate (per Fantasy Points Data). Those aren't daming numbers at all, but my bigger concern for McConkey this season is his ability to earn a target share that could vault him into the top 12 fantasy receivers. Last year, among the same subset of receivers, McConkey was 29th in target share (19.8%), 62nd in yards per route run (1.47), 37th in receiving yards per game (49.3), 46th in first-read share (20.4%), and 64th in first downs per route run. None of this screams "ascending monster breakout WR1" for the Chargers offense in 2026. McConkey has flashed the talent to do so at various points in his career, most notably in his rookie season, but where he's being drafted (as a mid-range WR2), for me to pay that price in drafts, I have to be able to squint and see WR1 or close to it upside for a player. I just don't see that for McConkey in 2026, but I could easily be wrong. I won't crush anyone for taking McConkey in drafts this summer, but I find myself consistently drafting other receivers and running backs over him at his ADP.

Don't hold the OL injuries against the Chargers' skill players. Ladd McConkey specifically. The Chargers' WR failed to live up to his expectations from his rookie season, as Keenan Allen's presence capped his target/production ceiling. The 33-year-old WR LED the Chargers in targets under OC Greg Roman (hyper-targeted on third downs). But with Roman replaced by Mike McDaniel, we should expect McConkey to finish closer to his rookie season, when he averaged 2.6 YPRR. McDaniel knows how to deploy his WRs to achieve peak efficiency both for real-life and fantasy purposes.