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McConkey failed to build on his rookie momentum, losing target share to Keenan Allen and sinking in efficiency. But Allen’s gone, and new OC Mike McDaniel creates a better path to volume and per-route production. McConkey projects cleanly as a WR2, and his WR20 ADP sits in a draftable range.
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McConkey racked up 66 catches, 789 yards, and 6 TDs in 16 games.
McConkey finished WR29 in total PPR points but just 35th in points per game. He managed only three top-12 fantasy finishes, with five more inside the top-24 and eight outside the top-36.
McConkey’s 64.8% slot rate and 10.5-yard average depth of target mirrored his rookie season.
But Keenan Allen’s return cut into McConkey’s target ceiling. Across 17 shared games, Allen edged him in targets per game, 6.6 to 6.5, and matched him with 15 red-zone looks. Allen also led 79-69 in first-read targets, per Fantasy Points.
Overall, McConkey’s efficiency dropped compared to 2024:
| 2024 | 2025 | |
| Route Rate | 87% | 89% |
| Targets Per Route | 0.228 | 0.181 |
| Yards Per Route | 2.38 | 1.40 |
| PFF Receiving Grade | 81.2 | 69.1 |
| ESPN Receiver Score | 71 | 58 |
| Expected PPR PPG | 12.6 | 12.0 |
| PPR PPG | 14.9 | 11.3 |
The yards per route figure is especially striking; it ranked 38th out of 40 WRs with 80+ targets through Week 17.
One reason: McConkey’s catchable target rate fell from 81% in 2024 to 71% in 2025, even though all of his NFL games have come with Justin Herbert at QB.
The Chargers landed 12th in total yards but only 20th in scoring. The passing game checked in 13th in attempts, 18th in yards, and 11th in TDs.
That’s a decent profile, especially factoring in the tough conditions around Herbert. OTs Joe Alt and Rashawn Slater combined to miss 28 games and factored heavily in the QB seeing a league-high 43.3% pressure rate.
McConkey missed about two weeks of training camp with a calf injury. He returned for Week 1 but battled calf, biceps, foot, and ankle injuries during the season. The 24-year-old was a healthy scratch for Week 18, when the Chargers rested starters.
As a rookie, McConkey missed one game with a knee injury.
Allen’s departure vacates 122 targets from the 2025 offense.
The setup around McConkey suggests the Chargers believe he’s capable of bouncing back. Quentin Johnston returns in an outside role after posting a career-high 14.0 yards per catch last year, but he finished third-worst in a sample of 52 WRs in targets per route run.
Tre Harris holds promise as a second-year Round 2 pick, but his rookie season offered little reason to think he’ll cut into McConkey’s role after 10.8 yards per catch on 32 receptions across 17 games and a 7.4% target share that ranked fifth on the team.
Oronde Gadsden II, David Njoku, and Charlie Kolar give the Chargers TE depth, but they look more like complementary pieces than real threats to McConkey’s role.
Mike McDaniel enters Year 1 as the Chargers’ play-caller.
McDaniel’s Miami units ranked 10th, seventh, ninth, and 21st in neutral pass rate, not far from the Chargers’ two 14th-place finishes under Greg Roman.
McDaniel’s scheme could also unlock more efficient usage for McConkey. Per Ryan Heath of Fantasy Points, McConkey ran just 9.9% of his routes from sets with fewer than three WRs last year, compared with 46% for Jaylen Waddle in Miami. More work in 1- and 2-WR sets would reduce his target competition.
That mattered in 2025, when the Chargers ranked third in dropback rate with 3+ WRs (81%). Miami, by contrast, finished with the fourth-lowest rate at 53%.
McConkey’s ceiling hinges on two things:
Our current projections place McConkey at WR21 in PPR ceiling, two spots higher than his rank in 3D Value.
McConkey took a clear step back in Year 2, failing to separate from 33-year-old Keenan Allen. There’s a chance he settles in as just the team’s best WR rather than its clear leader, which would mean a smaller target share and more limited production.
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Ladd McConkey's All the Way Back -- Minus Production
Ladd McConkey's All the Way Back -- Minus Production
Chargers WR Ladd McConkey made just 4 catches for 66 yards in Sunday's loss to the Bills. His 5 targets ranked third on the team. But it was a positive outing if only for presenting his first full set of playing time this season. McConkey played more offensive snaps than anyone but QB Justin Herbert and the O-line. He tied WR Quentin Johnston for the team lead in routes (32), running on 84.2% of Herbert's dropbacks.
Ladd McConkey Plays Through Rib Injury, Finishes With Just 3-35
Ladd McConkey Plays Through Rib Injury, Finishes With Just 3-35
Ladd McConkey began Sunday questionable to play with a rib injury before being listed active shortly before gametime. The Chargers WR finished with just 3 receptions for 35 yards in a 6.5 PPR point game in the team’s loss to the Raiders.
Ladd McConkey Active
Ladd McConkey Active
Chargers WR Ladd McConkey (rib) is active for today’s game vs. the Raiders. He’ll be playing with a flak jacket to protect a cracked rib suffered in the opener, NFL Network’s Ian Rapoport said this morning. A big hit could knock McConkey from this game, but we’re expecting him to play his usual role unless that happens.
"Optimism" That Ladd McConkey Plays Week 2
"Optimism" That Ladd McConkey Plays Week 2
There's "optimism" that Chargers WR Ladd McConkey (rib) will play vs. the Raiders today, according to NFL Network's Ian Rapoport. McConkey is dealing with a cracked rib, per Rapoport, and will wear a flak jacket if suits up. There's serious risk of an in-game setback here if McConkey takes a big hit, but there's also a chance he makes it through the game unaffected by the injury. McConkey was heavily involved before going down last week, catching 5 of 7 targets for 82 yards and a score in a little less than 3 quarters of action.
Ladd McConkey Questionable For Week 2
Ladd McConkey Questionable For Week 2
Chargers WR Ladd McConkey (rib) is listed as questionable for this weekend’s game vs. the Raiders. He returned to a limited practice on Friday after missing the previous 2 days. We’ll look for further updates on his status for this one but won’t get the Chargers’ inactives until a little after 2:30 pm ET on Sunday.
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