Chargers WR Josh Palmer (knee) is out for Monday night's game vs. the Jets. That will pretty much force the Chargers to put rookie WR Quentin Johnston in an every-down role. Palmer's absence obviously makes Johnston a better Week 9 fantasy bet, but he's still a shaky play against the league's top-ranked WR defense. It'll be WRs Derius Davis and Simi Fehoko behind WRs Keenan Allen and Johnston.
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 Keenan Allen hauled 7 of 11 targets for a team-leading 85 receiving yards and 1 TD in Week 6’s loss vs. the Cowboys. His teammate Joshua Palmer also had a solid game, finishing with 4 catches and 60 yards in the contest. Fantasy managers wondering if there would be a post-bye week spike in usage for rookie WR Quentin Johnston were sorely disappointed. The former TCU standout saw just 2 targets and failed to record a catch on Monday night. Looking under the hood a little bit, Johnston only played on 47.2% of the Chargers' offensive snaps in the contest, per PFF. It’s a long season, but the immediate signs are pointing toward Palmer being the stronger fantasy candidate. We’ll see if this holds true in Week 7 vs. the Chiefs.
Chargers WR Quentin Johnston posted just 1 catch for 18 yards in Week 4. Johnston garnered an end zone target and a deep target, but both plays were near-misses broken up by the DB. On the day, the rookie ran 22 routes -- thrid on the team behind Josh Palmer (30) and Keenan Allen (30). Johnston wil remain a low-floor fantasy option following a Week 5 bye.
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.
NFL Network's Ian Rapoport reports that the Chargers fear WR Mike Williams may have suffered a "potentially" season-ending left knee injury in Sunday's win over the Vikings. He'll have an MRI today to confirm the diagnosis. Losing Williams would present opportunity to rookie WR Quentin Johnston and third-year WR Josh Palmer. Each will be worth a look on the waiver wire this week, with Johnston carrying more upside.
Chargers QB Justin Herbert finished Week 1 with just 228 passing yards and 1 TD. A short-range toss to TE Donald Parham accounted for his only passing score. Herbert added a second score on a QB sneak, but there wasn’t much to speak of otherwise. Keenan Allen led the way with 6 grabs for 76 yards. Mike Williams — who left briefly for a concussion check — tallied just 45 yards on 4 catches. And Round 1 rookie Quentin Johnston mixed in for only 9 yards on 2 receptions. Overall, a slow start isn’t a total surprise given the presence of new OC Kellen Moore (plus a talented Miami defense). Keep expectations high for Sunday’s matchup at Tennessee.
The Athletic's Daniel Popper writes that Chargers WR Josh Palmer "appears" to be ahead of WR Quentin Johnston on the depth chart. "Palmer has been earning more first-team reps in three-receiver packages alongside Keenan Allen and Mike Williams," Popper adds. "Johnston is still in the very early stages of his development and has struggled with drops. His role early in the season will be geared toward specific concepts that allow him to play fast. Palmer, meanwhile, has the full trust of quarterback Justin Herbert and the coaching staff. He has been a regular playmaker in training camp." We certainly won't be shocked if Palmer out-snaps Johnston in Week 1. But we'd expect the rookie's role to grow throughout the season. Johnston remains an exciting fantasy pick, even though we won't be able to trust him in Week 1 lineups. Palmer, meanwhile, is a fine pick at the very end of best-ball drafts.
Chargers WR Josh Palmer missed offseason practices with an undisclosed injury. He's the Chargers' projected WR4, per The Athletic’s Daniel Popper, behind Keenan Allen, Mike Williams, and rookie Quentin Johnston. (No surprise there.) We’ll keep an eye on Palmer’s participation in training camp, but he’s only worth drafting in deep fantasy formats.
Chargers WR Keenan Allen suggested the team will attempt more deep passes under new OC Kellen Moore. “Obviously, Justin [Herbert] has a cannon,” Allen said. “Mike [Williams] goes deep. He has a new guy named Quentin Johnston. He can go deep. We’re probably going to be going deep.” Justin Herbert wasn’t particularly aggressive last year. Only 9.7% of his attempts traveled 20+ air yards, while his average depth of target (aDOT) sat at just 7.0 yards. But given the arrival of Johnston and a solid O-line, Herbert should be someone you’re targeting in fantasy drafts.
The Chargers selected TCU WR Quentin Johnston with the 21st pick in the 2023 NFL Draft. Johnston goes 6’3, 208 pounds but plays smaller. That’s not necessarily a knock. He’s one of the most impressive after-catch receivers we’ve seen come into the league in recent memory. He combines good agility and burst with plenty of physicality with the ball in his hands. Johnston averaged a huge 8.9 yards after the catch at TCU last year. He’s also a weapon on deep balls, leaving school with a career 19.0 yards-per-catch average. But Johnston struggles more than you’d expect in tight coverage. He converted just 42.7% of his contested opportunities over three college seasons, according to PFF, including just eight of 23 (34.8%) last year. His hands are inconsistent (10.7% drop rate last year). And his route running needs work. Johnston certainly isn’t the safest WR prospect – but he might have the highest fantasy ceiling in this year’s class. Landing in a Justin Herbert-led offense only helps. Just keep 2023 expectations in check, as long as Keenan Allen and Mike Williams are healthy. Current projections land Johnston in WR4/5 range.
TCU WR Quentin Johnston skipped the 40-yard dash and other drills at the NFL Scouting Combine. But he showed out in the broad jump and vertical. Johnston tied for second among receivers in the broad (11'2) and ranked third in the vertical (40.5 inches). He also measured in at 6'3 and 208 pounds. Johnston just might be battling Jaxon Smith-Njigba and Jordan Addison for top position among WRs in the NFL Draft. His WR41 ADP on Underdog, however, finds him going more than a round behind JSN and three spots behind Addison in WR ADP. That all makes him an intriguing pick for best ball rosters right now. The right NFL landing spot could vault him well into WR3 territory in fantasy football drafts.
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