Los Angeles Chargers Fantasy Football News | Shark Bites

ESPN’s Jamison Hensley believes the Ravens “could” field a top-5 O-line in 2023. This unit features three former first-round picks, including LT Ronnie Stanley, C Tyler Linderbaum, and RG Kevin Zeitler. Baltimore should be in fine shape as long as Zeitler (age 33) and RT Morgan Moses (32) remain above-average starters. However, LG is one spot to watch in camp after the offseason loss of Ben Powers. (Powers was Pro Football Focus’ second highest graded guard in 2022.) Malaesala Aumavae-Laulu, John Simpson, and Patrick Mekari look like the top candidates to fill in. View our fantasy football rankings to see expectations for key Ravens like Lamar Jackson, J.K. Dobbins, Mark Andrews, and others.

The Athletic’s Daniel Popper believes the Chargers’ O-line is in "outstanding shape” entering training camp. “The starting five has a chance to be special, especially with [Zion] Johnson moving to his more natural position at left guard next to an All-Pro in [Rashawn] Slater," Popper adds. Call it a bonus for QB Justin Herbert, who should already benefit from the addition of Round 1 WR Quentin Johnston. Without question, Herbert is one of the top fantasy QBs for 2023.

The Chargers “remain high” on RB Isaiah Spiller, per The Athletic’s Daniel Popper. It’s not shocking since Spiller arrived in Round 4 just one year ago. He battled an August ankle injury and never locked down the RB2 job behind Austin Ekeler. Across six games, Spiller posted only 41 yards on 18 carries. We’ll see if the Chargers add a veteran RB over the coming weeks. Even if they pass, Spiller must beat out Josh Kelley for the backup job.

Jeff Zrebiec of The Athletic published a report on Monday that should excite fantasy managers about the Ravens' offense in 2023. Zrebiec wrote that new Ravens OC Todd Monken has "prioritized" the team playing with "a faster pace" and integrating RBs into the passing game more often in OTAs and minicamps. This is particularly good news for RB J.K. Dobbins, a player who has only seen 32 targets in 23 games (1.39 per game) in his career. His fantasy value would take a sizable leap forward in PPR formats if he can add pass-catching to his repertoire. Fortunately, throwing the ball to Dobbins more often than the Ravens did under former OC Greg Roman is a low bar to clear. That said, fantasy managers should pump the brakes a little before getting too happy. It's tough to say how much of an increase Dobbins will see with Monken at the helm. In four NFL seasons as an OC (Buccaneers 2016-18, Browns 2019), only three RBs have received 40 or more targets in a Monken-led offense: Nick Chubb (49 - 2019), Kareem Hunt (44 - 2019), and Jacquizz Rodgers (45 - 2018). We currently have Dobbins projected for 43.4 targets in 2023. Check out where currently he sits in our RB rankings.

"There were no visible limitations, both in terms of workload and the type of throws" Chargers QB Justin Herbert made at Wednesday's practice, The Athletic's Daniel Popper writes. Herbert underwent surgery in January to repair a torn labrum in his left (non-throwing) shoulder. He resumed throwing in May. "Herbert is looking healthier and healthier, and he should enter training camp with minimal limitations physically," Popper adds. This should be a non-issue by the time Week 1 rolls around.

Ravens RB Gus Edwards will be "partially ready" for next week's minicamp, HC John Harbaugh said. Edwards played in just nine games last year after his 2021 ACL tear and subsequent hamstring injury. But he played in the final seven regular-season games and Baltimore's playoff loss, so it's unclear what's ailing him now. "No setback," Harbaugh said. "Maybe they're being a little cautious, but that's what they're doing." Harbaugh added that Edwards should be "fully ready" come training camp, but his health is worth monitoring this summer.

Panthers TE Hayden Hurst is back on the field after undergoing sports hernia surgery earlier this offseason. Barring a setback, that procedure won't impact his 2023 campaign. Hurst isn't an exciting pick in fantasy drafts -- but he's a volume-based value at his TE24 ADP.

Chargers WR Keenan Allen suggested the team will attempt more deep passes under new OC Kellen Moore. “Obviously, Justin [Herbert] has a cannon,” Allen said. “Mike [Williams] goes deep. He has a new guy named Quentin Johnston. He can go deep. We’re probably going to be going deep.” Justin Herbert wasn’t particularly aggressive last year. Only 9.7% of his attempts traveled 20+ air yards, while his average depth of target (aDOT) sat at just 7.0 yards. But given the arrival of Johnston and a solid O-line, Herbert should be someone you’re targeting in fantasy drafts.

Panthers TE Hayden Hurst is recovering from sports hernia surgery, per HC Frank Reich. Hurst will sit out OTAs until further notice, but we’ll let you know when he’s back on the field. There’s a lead TE job waiting for him when he returns to 100%. The 30-year-old (in August) inked a 3-year deal with $13 million guaranteed in March.

Chargers HC Brandon Staley said QB Justin Herbert has resumed throwing following January labrum surgery. The procedure was on Herbert’s left shoulder. “He’s progressing through a throwing progression right now,” Staley said. “But how much he does during when we actually practice, that’s to be determined.” We’ll keep an eye on Herbert’s status going forward. But the fourth-year pro should be a full-go for training camp.

The Chargers selected TCU WR Quentin Johnston with the 21st pick in the 2023 NFL Draft. Johnston goes 6’3, 208 pounds but plays smaller. That’s not necessarily a knock. He’s one of the most impressive after-catch receivers we’ve seen come into the league in recent memory. He combines good agility and burst with plenty of physicality with the ball in his hands. Johnston averaged a huge 8.9 yards after the catch at TCU last year. He’s also a weapon on deep balls, leaving school with a career 19.0 yards-per-catch average. But Johnston struggles more than you’d expect in tight coverage. He converted just 42.7% of his contested opportunities over three college seasons, according to PFF, including just eight of 23 (34.8%) last year. His hands are inconsistent (10.7% drop rate last year). And his route running needs work. Johnston certainly isn’t the safest WR prospect – but he might have the highest fantasy ceiling in this year’s class. Landing in a Justin Herbert-led offense only helps. Just keep 2023 expectations in check, as long as Keenan Allen and Mike Williams are healthy. Current projections land Johnston in WR4/5 range.

New Panthers WR D.J. Chark had ankle surgery recently, HC Frank Reich said Tuesday. Reich added that Chark "could be ready for part of OTAs" but didn't provide any other details. We assume the surgery was on the troublesome ankle that Chark fractured back in September of 2021 and flared up last year, costing him 6 games. We'll keep an eye on his status over the next few months.

The Panthers agreed to a one-year deal with WR D.J. Chark. The 26-year-old missed six games in the first half of last season with ankle trouble but made some noise in the second half, averaging 57.7 yards on 17.6 yards per catch over the final seven games. Chark ran a 4.34-second 40-yard dash at the 2018 Combine and is averaging 14.4 yards per catch through five NFL seasons. He adds much-needed juice to a Panthers WR corps that added WR Adam Thielen last week. Those two are the current favorites to open the season as Carolina's top two WRs -- although don't count out WR Terrace Marshall. The Panthers, of course, are expected to select their starting QB with the first pick of next month's draft.

The Chargers re-signed TE Donald Parham to a 2-year, $2.65 million deal. The 6'8 behemoth was not tendered as a restricted free agent by Los Angeles and ends up returning on a cheap deal, suggesting that he didn't find much interest on the open market. Parham has been just a part-time player through 3 NFL seasons, totaling 40 catches for 479 yards and 7 TDs. TE Gerald Everett had been mentioned as a potential cap casualty for the Chargers but remains on the roster as of mid-March. Unless that changes, Parham is only worth a look in the deepest of fantasy drafts.

The Panthers have agreed to a three-year deal with TE Hayden Hurst. The terms of the deal have not yet been disclosed. Hurst, a former NFL first-round pick, will be joining his fourth team since entering the league in 2018. At best, he's been a streaming TE consideration throughout his career. It's tough to say he'll have as much fantasy appeal going from a high-powered Bengals offense in 2022 to the Panthers with a rookie QB likely to be under center, though. This transition only hurts the value of Hurst even with diminished target competition. Dynasty managers are probably further ahead looking elsewhere to the 2023 rookie class or beyond if TE is a position of need. He may prove to be reasonably effective for redraft purposes if the Panthers don't add a ton of talent around him, though.

UPDATE: Hurst's contract is reportedly a three-year deal worth $21.75 million (with $13 million guaranteed).

TCU WR Quentin Johnston skipped the 40-yard dash and other drills at the NFL Scouting Combine. But he showed out in the broad jump and vertical. Johnston tied for second among receivers in the broad (11'2) and ranked third in the vertical (40.5 inches). He also measured in at 6'3 and 208 pounds. Johnston just might be battling Jaxon Smith-Njigba and Jordan Addison for top position among WRs in the NFL Draft. His WR41 ADP on Underdog, however, finds him going more than a round behind JSN and three spots behind Addison in WR ADP. That all makes him an intriguing pick for best ball rosters right now. The right NFL landing spot could vault him well into WR3 territory in fantasy football drafts.

The Chargers are set to hire Kellen Moore as their new OC, according to NFL Network's Ian Rapoport and Tom Pelissero. Although we just learned that Moore was done in Dallas on Sunday, the Chargers had been working on this hire "for a while," per Rapoport. It's a great get for QB Justin Herbert and Co. Moore helped the Cowboys to top-11 finishes in both points and total yards in 3 of his 4 seasons -- with the only exception being 2020, when QB Dak Prescott missed most of the year. That included a 1st-place finish in both points and yards in 2021. Moore's Dallas offenses were balanced to run-leaning in terms of Pass Rate Over Expected, although he certainly seems willing to adjust his play calling to the personnel. Moore also deploys a fast-paced attack, with the Cowboys ranking top 4 in both pace and situation-neutral pace in all 4 of his seasons.

Chargers QB Justin Herbert underwent surgery on January 25 to repair the labrum in his left (non-throwing) shoulder, the team announced. He was on the injury report with a left shoulder in Week 18 but was removed for the opening round of the playoffs. Herbert is expected to be cleared to participate in the offseason program, but we'll keep a close eye on his rehab. At this point, we're not adjusting our 2023 fantasy outlook for Herbert.

Bengals TE Hayden Hurst (calf) isn't listed on the final injury report for Sunday's AFC Championship game vs. the Chiefs. He put in a full practice on Friday after being limited on Thursday. Hurst should be ready for his usual role this weekend.

Bengals TE Hayden Hurst was added to Thursday's injury report and limited in practice with a calf. He missed 3 games late in the regular season with a calf injury -- although it's unclear if this is related. Check back Friday afternoon for another update on Hurst's status for this weekend's AFC Championship game vs. the Chiefs. His absence would be significant.