Fantasy Football News

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 WR Quentin Johnston (groin) is listed as questionable for this weekend’s game vs. the Chiefs. He was added to the injury report and limited in practice on Friday. We’ll look for further updates on Johnston’s status, but he wasn’t a recommended fantasy start to begin with. He’s been held under 10 PPR points in five of his last eight games.

The Chargers went understandably run heavy in Monday night's OT win over the Eagles. They had QB Justin Herbert just a week removed from surgery for a fracture in his left hand, plus they got rookie RB Omarion Hampton back for the first time since Week 5 (ankle injury). But the final tally of 38 team rushes to just 26 pass attempts obscures the true play breakdown. Herbert ran a season-high 10 times for the game, but that included a season-high eight scrambles vs. just two designed runs. Those designed rushes didn't come until the Chargers' final possession of regulation and then their first of OT. And that fourth-quarter carry was actually designed to go to Vidal. Herbert decided to keep it after seeing a pair of defenders disrupt the blocking.

Chargers WR Quentin Johnston managed just 2 catches for 30 yards in Sunday's loss to the Colts. That might make him seem a little left out from a game that included a career-high 420 passing yards from QB Justin Herbert. But Johnston got right back to his normal role after missing week 6 with a hamstring injury.

Chargers WR Quentin Johnston (hamstring) is not listed on the final Week 7 injury report. He practiced all week, including a full workout on Friday. Johnston returns for a plus matchup against a Colts secondary missing top CB Charvarius Ward.

The Colts have ruled CB Charvarius Ward out for Sunday's game against the Chargers with a concussion. That removes Indy's top corner for a matchup with a loaded set of receivers (assuming Quentin Johnston's ready to go). On the positive side, Colts CB Kenny Moore carries no game designation. That means he's ready to return after missing the past three games with an Achilles' injury.

Chargers WR Quentin Johnston (hamstring) is "trending toward" missing today's game vs. the Dolphins, according to ESPN's Jeremy Fowler. Johnston was limited in practice all week, so this doesn't look like a multi-week injury. But he should be on fantasy benches for Week 6. Johnston has accounted for 22.0% of Chargers targets, 21.7% of catches, 32.0% of receiving yards, and 50.0% of receiving TDs through five weeks, so this is a big loss. Justin Herbert is moving a couple of spots down the Week 6 QB rankings but remains a solid start against a leaky Miami secondary. WRs Keenan Allen and Ladd McConkey should see more volume with Johnston out. Rookie WR Tre Harris has been operating as Los Angeles clear No. 4 WR the last four weeks and is the favorite to soak up most of Johnston's snaps today. He'd be a desperation start in season-long leagues but might be worth stashing in you have a bench spot to play with. Harris is also in play for daily tournament lineups.

Chargers WR Quentin Johnston (hamstring) has been limited in the first two practices of the week. It's good news that he's been able to get on the field, but his status bears monitoring. We'll see how he's listed on the final injury report tomorrow for this weekend's game vs. the Dolphins. Johnston's absence in that one would likely mean a spike in snaps for rookie WR Tre Harris

The Chargers are placing RB Omarion Hampton on IR for the left ankle injury that knocked him out of Sunday's loss to the Commanders. That means Hampton will miss at least the next four games. We'll watch for further details on his expected return timeline.

Chargers WR Quentin Johnston (ankle) practiced all week and is off the final injury report. He’ll be back for Sunday’s game vs. the Browns after missing the last two contests. Johnston drew a 19.4% target share over the first four games of the season, which is more exciting with the Chargers throwing more lately. Still, Johnston would be a desperation Week 9 fantasy play.

Chargers WR Quentin Johnston (ankle) has missed the first two practices of the week, putting his availability for Monday night’s game against the Cardinals in question. We’ll see how he’s listed on the final injury report on Saturday afternoon.

Chargers QB Justin Herbert has been diagnosed with a plantar fascia injury in his right foot, the team announced. "Doctors have recommended approximately two weeks in a boot — followed by a graduated return to play protocol — with the expectation that he will be ready for the start of the regular season," the team said in a statement.

The Chargers are designating WR Joshua Palmer to return from IR, opening his 21-day practice window. HC Brandon Staley just last week described Palmer's situation by saying "there's still a possibility" that he'd return from IR, according to The Athletic's Daniel Popper. That suggests we can't assume Palmer will be ready to return from his knee injury and play in Week 14. And it'll be tough to throw him into fantasy lineups right away, unless we get word from Chargers coaches that he's all the way back. Still, we have mentioned Palmer in our waiver wire article each of the past two weeks on this chance of return. If he does make it back to full participation, we'd bet on Palmer re-emerging as the No. 2 wideout in an offense that needs him. Stash Palmer early if you can ... if that makes sense for your roster, of course.

Chargers WR Josh Palmer will miss at least four total games (three more) with his knee injury. But HC Brandon Staley hinted Wednesday that Palmer might miss more time. "He'll be out for the four weeks for sure and then we'll just see from there," Staley said. Asked if he's expecting Palmer back this season, Staley replied, "no expectations." We still don't have any details on the type or severity of Palmer's knee injury. We'll keep an eye out for that info, but Palmer is not a must-stash on fantasy benches. His absence will continue to provide a big opportunity for WR Quentin Johnston. He predictably struggled against a tough Jets secondary last week but ran a route on a season-high 95% of pass plays.

Chargers WR Keenan Allen caught 8 of 10 targets for 69 receiving yards in Sunday night’s win over the Bears. The veteran continues to be the No. 1 option in the Los Angeles offense and should be treated as such in every game moving forward, including Week 9 vs. the Saints. Beyond Allen, the most interesting takeaway is the increased involvement of WR Quentin Johnston. The rookie saw season-highs in targets (6), catches (5), and receiving yards (50). Part of this uptick can be attributed to his teammate Joshua Palmer missing a decent portion of the second offensive drive due to aggravating his knee injury. Still, Palmer ultimately returned and played on a normal complement of snaps. Johnston has been off to a slow start in 2023, but this performance should be enough for managers in deeper leagues to consider adding the first-year wideout off the waiver wire.

Chargers WR Mike Williams has been diagnosed with a torn left ACL and will miss the rest of the 2023 season, according to NFL Network's Ian Rapoport. The timing of the injury at least gives Williams a good chance to be ready for the start of the 2024 campaign. He turns 29 in about a week and is officially signed with the Chargers for next season. But his contract currently carries a $32.5 million cap hit. Williams will need to restructure that deal to remain with the team. His absence for the rest of this season leaves behind big opportunity. Williams averaged 8.7 targets on a 21.3% share through three games. WR Josh Palmer is the better immediate bet for production with Williams out. But first-round rookie WR Quentin Johnston is the higher-upside longer-term bet. WR Keenan Allen, RB Austin Ekeler (once healthy), and TE Gerald Everett should also see a bit more volume without Williams.