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McConkey failed to build on his rookie momentum, losing target share to Keenan Allen and sinking in efficiency. But Allen’s gone, and new OC Mike McDaniel creates a better path to volume and per-route production. McConkey projects cleanly as a WR2, and his WR20 ADP sits in a draftable range.
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McConkey racked up 66 catches, 789 yards, and 6 TDs in 16 games.
McConkey finished WR29 in total PPR points but just 35th in points per game. He managed only three top-12 fantasy finishes, with five more inside the top-24 and eight outside the top-36.
McConkey’s 64.8% slot rate and 10.5-yard average depth of target mirrored his rookie season.
But Keenan Allen’s return cut into McConkey’s target ceiling. Across 17 shared games, Allen edged him in targets per game, 6.6 to 6.5, and matched him with 15 red-zone looks. Allen also led 79-69 in first-read targets, per Fantasy Points.
Overall, McConkey’s efficiency dropped compared to 2024:
| 2024 | 2025 | |
| Route Rate | 87% | 89% |
| Targets Per Route | 0.228 | 0.181 |
| Yards Per Route | 2.38 | 1.40 |
| PFF Receiving Grade | 81.2 | 69.1 |
| ESPN Receiver Score | 71 | 58 |
| Expected PPR PPG | 12.6 | 12.0 |
| PPR PPG | 14.9 | 11.3 |
The yards per route figure is especially striking; it ranked 38th out of 40 WRs with 80+ targets through Week 17.
One reason: McConkey’s catchable target rate fell from 81% in 2024 to 71% in 2025, even though all of his NFL games have come with Justin Herbert at QB.
The Chargers landed 12th in total yards but only 20th in scoring. The passing game checked in 13th in attempts, 18th in yards, and 11th in TDs.
That’s a decent profile, especially factoring in the tough conditions around Herbert. OTs Joe Alt and Rashawn Slater combined to miss 28 games and factored heavily in the QB seeing a league-high 43.3% pressure rate.
McConkey missed about two weeks of training camp with a calf injury. He returned for Week 1 but battled calf, biceps, foot, and ankle injuries during the season. The 24-year-old was a healthy scratch for Week 18, when the Chargers rested starters.
As a rookie, McConkey missed one game with a knee injury.
Allen’s departure vacates 122 targets from the 2025 offense.
The setup around McConkey suggests the Chargers believe he’s capable of bouncing back. Quentin Johnston returns in an outside role after posting a career-high 14.0 yards per catch last year, but he finished third-worst in a sample of 52 WRs in targets per route run.
Tre Harris holds promise as a second-year Round 2 pick, but his rookie season offered little reason to think he’ll cut into McConkey’s role after 10.8 yards per catch on 32 receptions across 17 games and a 7.4% target share that ranked fifth on the team.
Oronde Gadsden II, David Njoku, and Charlie Kolar give the Chargers TE depth, but they look more like complementary pieces than real threats to McConkey’s role.
Mike McDaniel enters Year 1 as the Chargers’ play-caller.
McDaniel’s Miami units ranked 10th, seventh, ninth, and 21st in neutral pass rate, not far from the Chargers’ two 14th-place finishes under Greg Roman.
McDaniel’s scheme could also unlock more efficient usage for McConkey. Per Ryan Heath of Fantasy Points, McConkey ran just 9.9% of his routes from sets with fewer than three WRs last year, compared with 46% for Jaylen Waddle in Miami. More work in 1- and 2-WR sets would reduce his target competition.
That mattered in 2025, when the Chargers ranked third in dropback rate with 3+ WRs (81%). Miami, by contrast, finished with the fourth-lowest rate at 53%.
McConkey’s ceiling hinges on two things:
Our current projections place McConkey at WR21 in PPR ceiling, two spots higher than his rank in 3D Value.
McConkey took a clear step back in Year 2, failing to separate from 33-year-old Keenan Allen. There’s a chance he settles in as just the team’s best WR rather than its clear leader, which would mean a smaller target share and more limited production.
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Ladd McConkey Questionable For Week 2
Ladd McConkey Questionable For Week 2
Chargers WR Ladd McConkey (rib) is listed as questionable for this weekend’s game vs. the Raiders. He returned to a limited practice on Friday after missing the previous 2 days. We’ll look for further updates on his status for this one but won’t get the Chargers’ inactives until a little after 2:30 pm ET on Sunday.
Ladd McConkey Out Again Thursday, "Unlikely" To Play Week 2
Ladd McConkey Out Again Thursday, "Unlikely" To Play Week 2
Chargers WR Ladd McConkey (rib) missed his second straight practice on Thursday. ESPN's Adam Schefter calls him "unlikely" to play vs. the Raiders this weekend. We've had McConkey projected out all week, but we'll see how he's listed on tomorrow's final injury report.
Ladd McConkey Won't Practice Wednesday
Ladd McConkey Won't Practice Wednesday
Chargers WR Ladd McConkey (rib) won't practice on Wednesday, HC Jim Harbaugh said. McConkey dodged a significant injury by all accounts, but NFL Network's Ian Rapoport said Tuesday that his status for this weekend's game vs. the Raiders is "up in the air." We'll see if McConkey can get back on the field tomorrow, but fantasy managers should start making other plans for Week 2 lineups.
Ladd McConkey's Rib Injury Could Cost Him Week 2
Ladd McConkey's Rib Injury Could Cost Him Week 2
Chargers HC Jim Harbaugh called WR Ladd McConkey "day to day" with the rib injury he suffered in the opener. ESPN's Adam Schefter reports that McConkey will be monitored throughout the week before a decision is made on his Week 2 availability. "Sounds like his status is up in the air against the Raiders next week," NFL Network's Ian Rapoport adds. McConkey owners should make plans to be without him this week, but it sounds like he avoided a long-term injury. McConkey's absence vs. Vegas on Sunday would leave Quentin Johnston and Tre Harris as the Chargers' top 2 WRs. Harris is worth adding in most fantasy leagues.
Ladd McConkey Leaves With Injury
Ladd McConkey Leaves With Injury
Chargers WR Ladd McConkey suffered an apparent left hip or lower back injury in the third quarter of Sunday's game vs. the Cardinals. He was having a big game before going down, catching 5 of 7 targets for 82 yards and a score. We'll update McConkey's status when we know more.
Update: McConkey is officially questionable to return with a chest injury.
See whether Ladd McConkey is available in your leagues.
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