Look at pretty much any QB ranking and you’ll see Herbert’s
name near the top, perhaps a notch below the elite players at
the position (Mahomes, Allen, Jackson). In the realm of fantasy
football, however, Herbert has been largely a disappointment the
past three seasons. After throwing for 5,014 yards and 38 TDs
in 2021 as a second-year player, the Oregon product has averaged
3,914 yards and 23 TDs since. His running ticked up a bit last
year, but after rushing for eight scores in his first two years
he’s managed just five in the last three.
Is this the year we see a more dynamic version of LA’s passing
game? Maybe. Ladd McConkey looks like the real deal, and Herbert
closed last season strong with nine TD passes in his final four
games, but it’s still far from certain. The team reunited with
Mike Williams only to watch the veteran unexpectedly retire, leaving
a group of unproven wideouts alongside McConkey. Tight end is
also unimposing with journeymen Will Dissly and Tyler Conklin
set to fill the top two roles. Despite a lack of household names,
one thing Herbert has proven is he’ll throw to anyone, and his
decision making is first rate.
Los Angeles has invested heavily in protecting Herbert, and their
running game should be more dynamic in Year 2 under head coach
Jim Harbaugh, which figures to open things up for the passing
attack. The talent is there for Herbert to produce like a midrange
QB1 or higher, but there are too many unknowns to draft him in
such a lofty spot. Pencil Herbert in as a borderline QB1/QB2 and
target him after the top names are off the board. Just be sure
to select a capable alternative to pair with him.
You knew the moment the Chargers hired Harbaugh, who then installed
Greg Roman as offensive coordinator, that the team was going to
want to run the ball. They had limited resources a year ago, however,
and ended up relying on oft-injured J.K. Dobbins and complementary
back Gus Edwards, a tandem that ran for 1,270 yards and 13 TDs.
Neither one will return in 2025, with the team set to turn primary
duties over to Hampton, a first-round pick in April’s draft.
Hampton has a good combination of power and speed, and he’s a
capable receiver out the backfield, making him a true every-down
option as a rookie. Last year at the University of North Carolina
he ranked third in the nation in rush yards after contact (1,026)
and scored a combined 30 touchdowns over his final two collegiate
campaigns. He’ll have to compete with Najee Harris throughout
the season, so there will likely be some ebb and flow to his production
from week to week as Roman leans on the hot hand, but Hampton
is the back you want for the long haul in 2025.
Unlike fellow rookie Ashton Jeanty, who looks like he’ll
step right in and be the focal point of the offense in Las Vegas,
Hampton is paired with a high-level quarterback and capable backfield
mate. Still, it’s fair to expect more from Hampton than
the team got from Dobbins in the lead role last year, and it doesn’t
hurt that he plays for a coach that wants to control games with
power football. Hampton is a borderline top 20 fantasy back and
low-end RB2 with some juice.
Despite topping the 1,000-yard mark in each of his four seasons
with Pittsburgh, the Steelers chose not to exercise the former
first-round pick’s fifth-year option and showed no interest
in re-signing him before he hit the open market. Interest around
the NFL wasn’t that high, either, forcing Harris (eye) to
settle for a one-year deal with the Bolts. Initially, it looked
like he might be penciled in as the lead back, but that ended
abruptly when LA drafted Hampton. The veteran then did himself
no favors by injuring his eye in a fireworks mishap, and he has
yet to practice in camp with no firm return date.
While it’s not believed to be a serious injury, Harris is doubtless
falling behind Hampton with each missed day of practice and perhaps
into more of a complementary role than the timeshare he formed
with Jaylen Warren in Pittsburgh. Even with that, Harris should
be safely ahead of Kimani
Vidal for the backup job. This injury aside, the Alabama product
has been a picture of durability since joining the NFL in 2021,
appearing in all 68 games and logging 1,277 combined touches (319
per year). He isn’t explosive (3.9 YPC in his career), but he’s
strong, is effective in short-yardage and goal-line situations,
and he has good hands. As an RB4, Harris holds some appeal.
LA cleared the decks in the receiving room before last season,
bidding farewell to Keenan Allen, Austin Ekeler, and Mike Williams.
Into that void stepped McConkey, who hauled in 82 passes for 1,149
yards and 7 touchdowns as a rookie -- only Brian Thomas Jr. (1,282)
and Malik Nabers (1,204) had more receiving yards among first-year
wideouts. That he did it without a lot of options around him spoke
to his ability as a route runner, as he continued to shine even
as defenses began focusing their efforts on him as the Chargers’
top receiving threat. To that end, he put up a 9-197-1 line in
the playoffs when the team threw for a combined 242 yards.
For as good as he was, all reports from Chargers camp are that
he looks ready to take things to another level in Year 2. McConkey
has reportedly bulked up, and the team is set to move him around
the formation. His chemistry with Herbert was already excellent,
so another offseason of working together should only elevate that
as well. With no sure things in the passing game outside of McConkey,
he figures to see a ton of chances as he looks to develop into
a true No. 1 receiver in the league.
Despite adding some size, McConkey is still on the smaller side,
so if you want to find something to be concerned about it could
be durability. Although he missed only one game as a rookie, he
was dinged up a lot. Even with that, there’s top 10 upside
here, so if you can nab McConkey as a strong WR2 he could overdeliver
that designation.
The final first-round pick of former GM Tom Telesco’s tenure,
Johnston followed a disappointing rookie effort with a middling
sophomore campaign. While all his numbers were up, finishing with
a 55-711-8 line, he was almost immediately surpassed by McConkey
and was limited to flashes of big-play ability surrounded by too
much inconsistency. He still has good size (6-foot-2, 208 pounds)
and speed, and he did lead the team in touchdown receptions last
year, but through 32 games he hasn’t looked the part of
a top 25 pick.
As a holdover from the previous regime, Johnston finds himself
on unsteady ground. With a strong camp, he could lock down a starting
job alongside McConkey and probably Tre Harris. If he fails to
show much growth, it’s possible the team could move on, perhaps
trading him to recoup a late-round pick or even releasing him
outright -- an outcome that seems more plausible the more rookie
KeAndre
Lambert-Smith makes headlines with his strong play in camp.
Johnston is someone you’ll want to keep an eye on if he lands
a starting gig, though even in that scenario using a speculative
late-round pick on him feels a bit too rich.
Any thought of bringing Harris along slowly likely went out the
window when Williams retired, putting both starting receiver jobs
outside of McConkey in play. The vision when selecting Harris
in the second round was clear: get a receiver than can win on
the outside to help open things up for McConkey to make plays
in the slot. On paper, that’s Harris. The rookie is a physical
presence with enough strength to beat press coverage and the size
to excel in contested ball situations. He lacks elite speed but
was productive at Ole Miss, leading FBS with 128.8 receiving yards/game
as a receiver, although injuries limited him to eight games.
While Harris looks to have the inside track on a starting job,
that isn’t guaranteed. He seems to be primarily competing
with Johnston and Lambert-Smith, but LA has a lot of other young
wideouts (e.g., Derius Davis, Brenden Rice) that could push for
time as well. LA would like to see Harris develop into that No.
2 target though, and after the immediate success they had developing
last year’s second-round wideout there’s a clear path
to fantasy relevance for Harris. As your fifth or even sixth receiver,
Harris could be worth a late-round gamble.
Los Angeles hoped they’d found an offensive-minded tight end
when they signed Hayden Hurst before last season, but injuries
limited him to nine games and eight receptions. He won’t return.
In his stead, Dissly, known more for his blocking than his hands,
became the starter and set career highs in catches (50) and yards
(481). He’ll likely split time this year with Tyler
Conklin (51-449-4 w/ NYJ), who had some decent years with
the Jets.
There has also been some buzz surrounding Oronde Gadsden II,
a rookie fifth-round pick with the speed to make plays down the
seam, but odds are the two veterans will get most of the snaps
with the rookie sprinkled in for a specific formation here and
there. Nobody in this group moves the needle.
