32 Teams in 32 Days, Day 25 -- Los Angeles Chargers

Five Biggest Questions:


1. Can Justin Herbert return to the top 10?
2. Will rookie RB Omario Hampton run away with the starting job?
3. Can we trust Ladd McConkey as a top-14 WR?
4. Is rookie WR Tre Harris an automatic draft pick?
5. Will Quentin Johnston take another step forward?

As a rookie in 2020, Justin Herbert was the overall QB9. The following year, he was the QB2. After a dismal third season when Keenan Allen missed seven games and Mike Williams missed four, I went all in the following summer, believing Herbert could break the all-time single-season records for passing yards and passing TDs in Year 4.

What a disaster. Williams was knocked out for the season in Week 3. Allen missed the entire fantasy playoffs. #3 WR Joshua Palmer sat for seven contests. First-round rookie Quentin Johnston flailed. The normally stellar and catch-friendly Austin Ekeler wilted. The doomed Herbert missed the final 4 1/2 games. It was so rough that in the season's final three weeks, QB Easton Stick had the most fantasy points on the team, followed closely by kicker Cameron Dicker.

The Chargers underwent a nearly complete offensive makeover (fantasy-wise) that next offseason, and in the ensuing 2024 campaign, Herbert was both statistically sound and middling. 23 TD passes and three interceptions isn't too shabby. He enjoyed career highs with a 101.7 QB rating and 7.7 yards per throw. He also ran more than ever, resulting in more rushing yards than ever. Yet he finished as the QB11 on a career-low 29.6 pass attempts per game.

In the pass-happy offense of the early 2020's, he could have been elite. Instead, he was an exceptionally efficient game manager with big-play abilities. Great for the 11-6 Chargers. Bad for fantasy managers.

What kind of Herbert will we see in 2025? I want to believe he'll outperform his QB15 ADP. At the same time, last year marked their second-best record in the past 15 seasons. What they did worked. If not for two last-second losses -- one to the Chiefs and the other to the Cardinals -- they would've had their third-best season in franchise history.

So I can't justify pushing Herbert into the top 14. By Week 3 I might regret it . . . unless I give in and move him up now. Clearly this is going to keep me guessing throughout August.

Their 2024 backfield overhaul has been overhauled yet again. First-round rookie Omario Hampton (RB17 ADP) and former Pittsburgh first-rounder Najee Harris (RB37) were expected to dominate touches. But a non-football-related eye injury to Harris might create more distance between him and Hampton. Or at least it should. The rookie is bell-cow ready. I'm steering clear of Najee. Kimani Vidal (RB130) and UDFA Raheim Sanders (RB110) are outside the top 100 for good reasons.

The WR depth chart is fluid beyond #1 Ladd McConkey (an overly aggressive WR11 ADP). Second-round rookie Tre Harris (WR53) and the previously mentioned Quentin Johnston (WR69) will compete for the #2 job, with Harris clearly having the inside track. However, as discussed in detail on my podcast last week, Harris's and Johnston's values haven't really been impacted by Mike Williams' retirement. The market isn't paying enough attention. I think both are positioned to do better than expected.

And the Chargers have had only one top-10 TE in the past 10 seasons (Hunter Henry in 2019). Fifth-round rookie Oronde Gadsden II probably won't reach that milestone, though his TE45 ADP seems off-the-mark. 30-year-old Tyler Conklin (TE34) and 29-year-old Will Dissly (TE49) are expected to compete. Realistically, only Gadsden could be fantasy-relevant. He's worth a dice roll with the final pick in very deep leagues.

---

Sign up for the Top 400 Preseason PPR Fantasy Rankings:
(Donate what it's worth to you)

(1) Venmo -- https://www.venmo.com/u/ff4winners
(2) Cash App -- https://cash.app/$ff4winners
(3) PayPal -- https://paypal.me/bjrudell?country.x=US&locale.x=en_US

Extra Advice ("Text Anytime," "RB Handcuffs," etc.): www.fantasyfootballforwinners.com/p/ff4w-subscriptions.html

Podcast: Search "fantasy football for winners" on any popular podcast app