2025 Los Angeles Chargers Fantasy Preview
2025 Los Angeles Chargers Fantasy Preview Jim Harbaugh’s first season in Los Angeles was a racing success. The Chargers improved from 5-12 in 2023 to 11-7 and a Wild Card playoff appearance in Year One of their rebuild. Harbaugh’s immediate impact saw the club climb from 28th in defense to 11th. The offense regressed slightly, but injuries played a big role in that. With plenty of cap space and key reinforcements via free agency and the draft, the 2025 Chargers are trending up. QB Justin Herbert gutted out leg and foot injuries to start all 18 games. In his first season in Greg Roman’s system, Herbert set career-highs in yards per attempt (7.7), ADOT (9.0), QB rating (101.7), and threw the fewest interceptions (3) in the league. The touchdown numbers dipped, but Herbert also took the most sacks of his career (41). L.A. signed Mekhi Becton and Andre James in free agency to help protect Herbert. Other additions in the backfield and at wideout will also help. Even battling injuries throughout the year, Herbert still ranked 15th in fantasy points per game and rushed for 306 yards and two scores. He’s a sleeper pick to post top-10 fantasy numbers and can be targeted much later in drafts. The Chargers improved from 96.6 rushing yards per game to 110.7 in 2024. J.K. Dobbins averaged 14.8 fantasy points per game but will be replaced by the tandem of Omarion Hampton and Najee Harris. Hampton was selected No. 22 overall and profiles as a downhill runner who will fit well in Roman’s scheme. Hampton has an intriguing blend of size (5-11, 221), speed (4.47 40-yard dash), and power. Harris has rushed for 1,000-plus yards in all four of his NFL seasons, giving Harbaugh one of the top tandems in the NFL. Expect the Chargers to be among the most run-heavy offenses, with plenty of play-action opportunities for Herbert to exploit. Ladd McConkey was sensational as a rookie, snagging 82-of-112 targets for 1,149 yards and seven scores in 16 games. He finished his first season as the WR13 and is now firmly ranked in WR1 territory. The Chargers also re-signed Mike Williams and used a second-rounder on sizable Mississippi wideout Tre Harris. Harris was a yards per route run terror who led the nation in receiving yards per game. The rookie will be an instant upgrade over the inconsistent Josh Palmer. The tight end rotation that Harbaugh employed last season looks to be back, this time, with newly signed Tyler Conklin competing with Will Dissly for snaps. Both options lack upside because of their unpredictable usage. They should only be viewed as reserves to target late in deeper leagues. Fantasy Grade: C+ QB Herbert, Justin, LAC [QB1] On the surface, Justin Herbert had a modest showing in 2024, but Herbert gutted through several injuries and guided the Chargers to an improbable Wild Card appearance. Despite playing in Greg Roman’s run-first scheme that ranked 28th in pace of play, Herbert ranked 15th in fantasy points per game. Accuracy was key, as Herbert threw a league-low three interceptions and shined in deep-ball accuracy (5th in deep-ball completion rate). Play-action was key, and with the Chargers signing Najee Harris and drafting Omarion Hampton in the first round, look for Herbert to continue to game manage and take deep shots. ADVICE: Mid-round value pick with top 10 upside. RB Hampton, Omarion, LAC [RB1] Omarion Hampton joins a crowded Chargers backfield with Najee Harris. However, this staff targeted Hampton in the first round when running back wasn’t LA’s biggest need. Hampton’s powerful running and superior pass-catching ability, akin to Nick Chubb, position him as a mid-tier RB2 in PPR leagues. In 2024, Chargers’ running backs recorded just 43 receptions for 270 yards and two touchdowns on 55 targets. That should trend up with Hampton replacing J.K. Dobbins. There is a chance that Jim Harbaugh opens the season with a committee, so Hampton could get off to a slow start. ADVICE: Three-down talent on a run-first team that could be limited to committee work. RB Harris, Najee, LAC [RB2] Harris looked like a quality RB2 before the Chargers selected Omarion Hampton with the 22nd overall pick. Hampton (4.46 40) is faster than Harris (4.57), is a better receiver, and has first-round draft capital. Clearly, the staff liked what Hampton did at North Carolina. Harris has been sturdy, playing all 17 games and rushing for 1,000-plus yards in all four of his seasons. But this is likely to be a committee backfield led by Hampton. The Chargers project to be one of the run-heaviest teams in the league, but Harris is unlikely to command enough touches to post another RB2 campaign. ADVICE: RB3/4 with limited path to being a consistent fantasy starter. WR McConkey, Ladd, LAC [WR1] McConkey exceeded expectations in his rookie campaign, pacing the 2024 class with 2.6 yards per route run and finishing as the WR13 in total fantasy points. From Weeks 8 through the playoffs, he surged to WR10 levels, drawing a 25% target share and averaging 98.7 yards and 16.4 fantasy points per game, trailing only Ja’Marr Chase over that stretch. Although the Chargers drafted Omarion Hampton in Round 1, potentially shifting toward the run, McConkey’s late-season dominance remains impossible to ignore. His connection with Justin Herbert is already elite, and with the coaching staff remaining intact, McConkey is set up for a big leap in year two. ADVICE: High-floor WR2–a mind 2nd round target. WR Harris, Tre, LAC [WR2] Tre Harris had a standout college career at Louisiana Tech and Ole Miss, amassing 220 receptions, 3,532 yards, and 29 touchdowns over four seasons. His receiving yards grew annually (562, 935, 985, 1,030), with explosive play at Ole Miss (18.2, 17.2 yards per catch). Despite a groin injury sidelining him for five games last season, Harris shone in 2023, surpassing 100 yards in five games. Harris has good size (6-2, 205), 2nd-round NFL Draft capital, and landed with a Chargers’ offense that needs a perimeter
2024 Los Angeles Chargers Fantasy Preview
2024 Los Angeles Chargers Fantasy Preview After finishing 5-12, changes were evident. Los Angeles fired GM Tom Telesco and head coach Brandon Staley and then went after Jim Harbaugh, the biggest name on the coaching market. If Harbaugh’s previous stints
After finishing 5-12, changes were evident. Los Angeles fired GM Tom Telesco and head coach Brandon Staley and then went after Jim Harbaugh, the biggest name on the coaching market. If Harbaugh’s previous stints at Stanford, San Fransisco, and Michigan have taught us anything, his teams are built to play the trenches and run the ball. Adding Greg Roman as an offensive coordinator ensures that this Chargers offense will emphasize the run game, so the more than 320 vacated targets may not matter here.
With a change in offensive philosophy, the value of long-time Charger wide receivers has shifted in this new offense. Keenan Allen and Mike Williams have been replaced in the draft by promising new additions. Second-round selection Ladd McConkey, and a pair of seventh-round picks, Brendan Rice and Cornelius Johnson, bring fresh talent and potential to the team’s offense.
Looking at the Chargers’ current depth chart, Justin Herbert’s top three options are Joshua Palmer, who had 38 receptions and 581 yards last season, second-year wideout Quentin Johnson, who had just 431 receiving yards and 38 receptions after being selected in the first round of the NFL draft last year, and Ladd McConkey. McConkey may overtake Palmer and Johnson as Herbert’s favorite target immediately.
In games where Herbert didn’t have Keenan Allen and Mike Williams, he still found success by spreading the ball around. Herbert got all his receivers involved by not having to funnel his targets into his top options. However, don’t expect him to put up top-five fantasy production this season with the offense that Roman likes to run. Herbert completed 297 of his 456 attempts for 3,134 yards in 13 games last year. Suppose you draft Herbert as your first quarterback. In that case, you must give him the Kirk Cousins treatment by adding another solid quarterback option later in the draft and potentially playing the better matchups.
Harbaugh is going to love RB Gus Edwards. His 13 rushing scores last season were tied for the third most by any back, and he averaged 4.1 yards per carry, which was the first time in his career he had averaged less than five yards per carry. LA also brought in J.K. Dobbins, who is recovering from a season-ending Achilles injury. Keep an eye on sixth-round Troy RB Kimani Vidal, who could emerge as a serious dark horse in this backfield.
At tight end, neither Will Dissly nor Hayden Hurst offers much fantasy value, as the duo combined for just 356 receiving yards on 35 receptions. If you have to draft one of the two, Hurst could be a nice tight-end two with some upside.
Quarterbacks
QB JUSTIN HERBERT – SOLID/SAFE PICK
While Justin Herbert remains one of the top young quarterbacks in the NFL, his fantasy prospects are less certain. With Jim Harbaugh and Greg Roman running the offense, the 2024 Chargers will be far less reliant on the pass. In Herbert’s first four years, the team ranked first in plays per game. Harbaugh and Roman’s 49ers (2011-2014) ranked 31st in pace and no higher than 29th in pass attempts. Additionally, a mass exodus of veteran pass catchers is further proof of the potential lack of volume. Herbert did compile a 110.8 QB Rating in play-action in 2023, so he’s capable of being solid if the Chargers can establish the run. But he’s no longer a locked-in QB1. ADVICE: High-end QB2…