| {{ column.label }} |
|---|
| {{ column.value }} |
Johnston remains a boom-bust fantasy bet. The TD production has carried him for two straight seasons, while he lagged in yards per route and yards per target. The good news? Keenan Allen’s 122 vacated targets and OC Mike McDaniel’s arrival create a real opportunity for Year 4 growth. Treat Johnston as a volatile WR4 with WR3 upside if the targets increase.
Customize his projection for your exact league settings inside the Draft War Room.
Johnston caught 51 passes for 735 yards and 8 TDs. The yardage marked a new career high, while the TD total matched his 2024 high.
Johnston finished WR32 in total PPR points and WR25 in PPR points per game, well ahead of his finish in expected PPG (WR40).
Johnston saw an 18.3% target share, down from 20.7% in 2024. Keenan Allen’s addition explains the volume gap, but the role essentially remained the same:
| 2024 | 2025 | |
| Average Depth of Target | 12.2 yards | 12.9 yards |
| Route Rate Out Wide | 88.1% | 85.5% |
| Red Zone Target Share | 22.0% | 20.3% |
Those 8 TDs did a lot of the heavy lifting because the rest of Johnston’s efficiency profile remained shaky.
Among 76 WRs with 50+ targets, Johnston ranked:
Johnston boosted his catch rate from 59.1% to 65.1%, but that didn’t do much for his fantasy production given the drop in target share.
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 Justin 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.
Johnston sustained a concussion on Aug. 16 but returned in time for the opener. He later missed Week 6 with a hamstring injury and Week 16 with a groin issue, and appeared on the injury report with shin and shoulder injuries.
That followed a 2024 season in which an ankle injury cost him two games.
Keenan Allen’s departure opens up 122 targets from last year’s offense. Johnston should absorb at least some of that volume.
The Chargers also return expected No. 1 Ladd McConkey and second-year WR Tre Harris. McConkey’s efficiency and raw production dipped in 2025, but he’s still just 24 (until Nov. 11) with a rookie-season breakout on his resume.
Harris brings the physical profile to push Johnston, but the early production doesn’t help his case. He managed just 30 catches for 324 yards and 1 TD as a rookie.
Round 4 deep threat Brenen Thompson doesn’t profile as a big contributor either. He brings deep speed but appears suited for a niche role at 164 pounds.
The TE room has depth, but it shouldn’t seriously threaten Johnston’s role. Oronde Gadsden II had a flashy but inconsistent rookie campaign. David Njoku arrives after an injury-plagued season that saw Harold Fannin Jr. pass him in Cleveland. Free-agent addition Charlie Kolar is more blocker than proven receiver.
Overall, it’s an improved situation for Johnston’s target-earning potential.
Johnston enters Year 4 with Justin Herbert. Despite facing heavy pressure last season, Herbert still finished ninth in pass attempts and ninth in yards. He remains an asset for Johnston.
The O-line will bear watching after both OTs underwent offseason surgeries. LT Rashawn Slater and RT Joe Alt are at least on track to participate in training camp.
Mike McDaniel enters Year 1 as the Chargers’ play-caller. His Miami units ranked 10th, seventh, ninth, and 21st in neutral pass rate. That’s comparable to the Chargers’ finishes at 14th in two seasons under OC Greg Roman.
McDaniel’s scheme cuts both ways for Johnston. Miami’s offense averaged a 33.25% fullback snap rate over four seasons, so heavier personnel could help his target efficiency. But that’s only if he becomes a staple in 1 and 2-WR sets ahead of McConkey and/or Harris.
McDaniel’s Dolphins used 3- and 4-WR sets far less often than last year’s Chargers, 53% to 81%. That creates some route-rate risk for Johnston, particularly if Harris earns a larger role.
Johnston has overproduced on TDs in two straight seasons, scoring 16 times vs. 11.7 expected. He’ll likely need that to continue for a true ceiling outcome.
The other path is development and a usage spike under Mike McDaniel, who praised Johnston’s early OTA work and compared some of his traits to Julio Jones and Andre Johnson.
Johnston doesn’t present that kind of WR1 ceiling, but McDaniel leaning into his size and explosiveness could help lift last year’s low targets-per-route mark.
Johnston still faces a tough path out of secondary-target status. McConkey returns, Harris brings Year 2 growth potential, and the Chargers now feature Gadsden and Njoku at TE.
Unable to load trends.
No trend data is available.
No trend data is available.
Is Quentin Johnston The Chargers WR To Draft?
Is Quentin Johnston The Chargers WR To Draft?
The Athletic's Daniel Popper believes new Chargers OC Mike McDaniel's offense "could unlock" WR Quentin Johnston. "I see a ton of potential for Johnston in this offense," Popper writes. "McDaniel prioritizes yards after the catch in his passing scheme. He wants the ball into the hands of receivers as fast as possible. This is great news for Johnston, who is most dangerous in these situations. I do not believe any Chargers offense has truly taken advantage of this part of Johnston’s skills."
Chargers Commit To Quentin Johnston Through 2027
Chargers Commit To Quentin Johnston Through 2027
The Chargers have exercised the fifth-year option on WR Quentin Johnston's contract. That keeps him signed through 2027 and will pay him $18 million guaranteed in that final year of the deal. The Chargers' brass had previously been non-committal on the option, perhaps waiting to see what the draft brought to the WR room.
Chargers Looking For New OC
Chargers Looking For New OC
The Chargers fired OC Greg Roman. The offense was disappointing this season, but an injury-wrecked offensive line was a much bigger culprit than Roman's scheme or play-calling. The Chargers lost LT Rashawn Slater to a season-ending torn patellar tendon in August and then watched RT Joe Alt go down with his own season-ending ankle injury in Week 9. Los Angeles finished bottom two in Pro Football Focus' run- and pass-blocking grades and ESPN's run- and pass-blocking win rates. QB Justin Herbert was pressured on a league-high 43.6% of his dropbacks. We'll see who the Chargers tab to replace Roman. But the offensive line should be much better in 2026 with better health. With Herbert, plus RB Omarion Hampton, WRs Ladd McConkey, Quentin Johnston, and Tre Harris, and TE Oronde Gadsden, this is a prime bounce-back offense to target in fantasy drafts.
Chargers Resting Justin Herbert for Week 18
Chargers Resting Justin Herbert for Week 18
Chargers HC Jim Harbaugh announced Monday that QB Justin Herbert won't play in Sunday's regular-season finale against the Broncos. The Chargers sit tied with Houston and Buffalo at 11-5, so there's some potential mobility to their seed with Week 18 results. But Harbaugh has clearly decided that getting Herbert -- and potentially others -- healthier for the playoffs matters more than the difference between the No. 5 and No. 7 seeds.
Cowboys Bring Chargers Passing Game Back to Life
Cowboys Bring Chargers Passing Game Back to Life
Chargers QB Justin Herbert delivered a big game against Dallas' generous defense on Sunday. Herbert went 23-of-29 passing for 300 yards and 2 TDs. He added 42 yards on eight carries. That included a 1-yard TD plunge late in the second quarter and a 34-yard scramble early in the fourth. Herbert found WR Quentin Johnston from 23 yards out in the first quarter and WR Ladd McConkey from 25 in the second for his TD tosses.
See whether Quentin Johnston is available in your leagues.
Sign In to Check Your LeaguesNo related articles are available yet.
You have our personal money-back guarantee: If you’re not happy with our service for any reason, just reach out by December 31, 2026, and we’ll give you 100% of this purchase back. No strings attached. You can cancel with one-click from your account page anytime.
