Analysis of the Los Angeles Chargers’ best fantasy football players for the upcoming season.
It’s time for another NFL fantasy football team preview.
Check back soon for more team previews. Of course, some things will change between now and the start of the season, and FantasySP will report on any major changes as they occur.
Here are all the team previews we’ve already covered:
AFC: Kansas City Chiefs, New York Jets, Buffalo Bills, Pittsburgh Steelers, Tennessee Titans, Baltimore Ravens, New England Patriots, Miami Dolphins, Las Vegas Raiders, Jacksonville Jaguars, Cleveland Browns, Indianapolis Colts, Denver Broncos, Houston Texans, Cincinnati Bengals
NFC: San Francisco 49ers, Los Angeles Rams, Chicago Bears, Detroit Lions, Carolina Panthers, Atlanta Falcons, Philadelphia Eagles, Green Bay Packers, New York Giants, Seattle Seahawks, Washington Commanders, Tampa Bay Buccaneers, Dallas Cowboys, New Orleans Saints, Minnesota Vikings
Now let’s talk about the Los Angeles Chargers.
Get ready for draft season! Practice mock drafts, view ADPs, and get trade tips with our Trade Analyzer. Also, be sure to check out the 2024 Fantasy Football Draft Kit.
Fantasy Outlook
Herbert is back to lead the Chargers again in 2024, but he has a much different looking offense around him. Herbert has also been battling an injury but is now back in practice.
Herbert was limited to 13 games last season. He completed 297 of his 456 passes for 3,134 yards, 20 touchdowns and seven interceptions. After throwing 69 touchdowns in his first two seasons, Herbert managed just 45 in the next two years.
He usually adds a rushing element, but this year that might not be the case due to his plantar fascia injury. Last season he had 228 yards and three touchdowns on 52 rushing attempts.
Due to his injury and the lack of proven playmakers around him, Herbert is QB16 and projected to be pick 121.
I think Herbert is really undervalued right now and I think he’s a very worthwhile pick considering his ADP. I don’t care who’s next to him, he has a chance at multiple touchdowns and over 200 passing yards per game, which is better than many quarterbacks can say. He’s a fantastic fantasy QB2 and could be a huge draft bargain at the end of the season.
Running back fantasy prospects
and are the new lead backs in LA. and Rookie are backup options.
Edwards joins the Chargers after spending the first five years of his NFL career with Baltimore. In 17 games last season, Edwards started nine times and rushed for 810 yards and 13 touchdowns on 198 attempts. He caught 12 of his 13 passes for 180 yards and no scores.
Dobbins has played his entire NFL career with the Ravens so far. He only played one game last season before getting injured. Dobbins has played 24 games in three seasons and four years, 15 of which came in his first season in 2020.
Patterson played his last NFL game with Washington in 2022. In the two seasons he played, he managed just 344 yards and two scores on 85 attempts.
Vidal was selected in the sixth round in the last draft. In four college seasons with Troy, Vidal had 3,858 rushing yards and 32 touchdowns. In each season he had 225 receiving yards or less.
Edwards and Dobbins are the clear leaders in the RB room and the first two backs to come off the draft boards. Edwards is RB38 and will be selected at pick 109, while Dobbins is RB42 and will be selected at pick 123.
There’s less risk near those ADPs, so I’d be happy to play with one of the Charger backs. I think Edwards is the one to target and will be the better fantasy option this season. If he can serve as a goal line back, his touchdown potential could be enough to get him started in the flex spot. Dobbins is talented, but his injury history scares me – he’s still worth a draft pick around his ADP and could be another flex option if the Chargers move to a more run-oriented offense.
Vidal is the backup RB to consider in major leagues and dynasties. He is RB52 and currently around pick 169. I wouldn’t take him in a standard league unless one of the top two players gets injured between now and the start of the season. Vidal will probably play a small role at times this season, but it probably won’t be enough to ever get him into the starting lineup.
Patterson can be avoided in all league types.
Fantasy Outlook for Wide Receivers
and Rookie form a largely new starting wideout trio. Rookies and and and are currently other backup options.
Palmer has put in some solid performances in his three NFL seasons. Last season, he played in just 10 games and finished with 581 yards and two scores on 38 catches and 61 targets.
Johnston looked like a draft flop in his rookie season after being selected 21st overall in the 2023 NFL Draft. He had 432 yards and two scores on 38 receptions and 67 targets in 17 games.
Davis also played in 17 games. He caught 15 balls on 17 attempts, but only managed 66 yards and no touchdowns. He also managed 101 rushing yards on 14 attempts.
Chark comes to LA, where he will be playing for his fourth team in as many seasons. In 15 games with the Panthers in 2023, Chark had 35 catches on 66 attempts for 525 yards and five touchdowns.
McConkey was the team’s second-round pick in the offseason. He had three mediocre seasons at Georgia, but scored a total of 15 touchdowns in three seasons.
Rice was selected in the seventh round of the draft. He is the son of NFL legend Jerry Rice and played four college seasons between Colorado and USC. His best season was 2023 at USC, when he rushed for 791 yards and 12 touchdowns.
Johnson was another seventh-round pick. In his five seasons at Michigan, he never exceeded 610 receiving yards but scored 14 touchdowns.
McConkey is the Chargers’ highest drafted receiver. He is WR41 and is selected around 94th.
It’s hard to trust a rookie to lead a team as a pass receiver, but fantasy owners are choosing his potential over the more experienced Palmer. I’m not that keen on McConkey and would only consider him if he falls another round or so.
Palmer is WR57 and will be selected around 141st. He is worth a late selection in standard league drafts as he will often be a start/sit option early in the season. Given his history with Herbert, I am OK with taking him with one of my final selections.
Everyone else is a minor league draft option, but it’s hard to really trust any of them. Johnston is the next one off the draft list – I haven’t given up on him yet, but he’s more of a depth option than a starting lineup possibility early in the season.
Rice, Johnson and Chark could all become options for the league’s roster, but I’m not sure how reliable they’ll be week to week. It’s probably best to try to avoid the Chargers’ receiver room as a whole this season. I could see a very even performance, and if that happens, it’ll be a frustrating group to deal with and evaluate.
Tight End Fantasy Outlook
and are the Chargers’ best tight ends entering the season. However, none of the team’s options are good fantasy options.
Hurst played for the Panthers last season. In nine games, he had 18 catches for 184 yards and one touchdown on 32 attempts.
Dissly spent the first six years of his career with the Seahawks. Last season, he played in 16 games and rushed for 172 yards and a touchdown on 17 catches and 22 attempts.
Neither starting option is in the top 300 fantasy TE ADP list. I don’t even consider them as deep league fantasy draft options, but more as waiver wire players if they happen to carve out a decent role for themselves.
This could be a really tough season for the Chargers if they can’t run the ball or Herbert isn’t 100%.
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