Quentin Johnston Goose Egged In Week 8

2025 Fantasy Football Impact

Johnston got off to a red-hot start to the season, averaging 5.5 catches, 84 yards, and 1.0 TDs over his first four games. His last three: 2.0 catches, 23 yards, and 0.3 TDs.

His volume is also way down. He averaged 9.0 targets on a 24.2% target share over those first four games but just 3.3 targets on an 8.5% share over the last three.

So what's wrong with QJ? It's a combination of a few things:

1. Week 8 was a particularly tough matchup for Johnston against the blitz-heavy Vikings. As we wrote before the game, Johnston's targets per route drops from 0.20 when QB Justin Herbert is not blitzed to 0.18 when Herbert is blitzed.
2. It's possible that Johnston still isn't all the way back from the hamstring injury that cost him Week 6. He managed just 40 scoreless yards in the game prior to the injury but has been particularly unproductive the last two games, totaling two catches and 30 yards.
3. TE Oronde Gadsden has emerged as a big part of this passing game. The rookie has racked up 22 targets over the last three games -- and out-targeted Johnston 14 to six over the last two.

Those first and second issues shouldn't be limiting factors going forward. The Chargers will remain a pass-heavy offense when game script allows. And Johnston has avoided a setback with the hamstring.

Gadsden isn't going away, though.

Johnston's target share will certainly climb from the 8.5% over the last three weeks. And he'll have some spike weeks the rest of the way. But it's possible that he ranks fourth on this team in targets going forward.

He'll be helped by a schedule that ranks sixth-easiest for WRs from Week 9 through 17. But consider Johnston a volatile WR3 in fantasy lineups.