Los Angeles Chargers Fantasy Football News | Shark Bites

The Chargers added Troy RB Kimani Vidal in Round 6 of the NFL Draft. Despite offers from LSU and South Carolina, the Georgia native took his talents to the Sun Belt Conference. Vidal averaged 11.2 carries per game as a true freshman and led the team in rushing – something he’d do in all four seasons. But his workloads really picked up from 2022-2023 for the run-heavy Trojans. In fact, Vidal was among the busiest college RBs with 526 carries (plus 44 catches) over that stretch. He held up well, too, missing only one game due to injury in his career. At nearly 5’8, 213 pounds, Vidal has bowling ball size and runs with matching intensity. Per The Athletic’s Dane Brugler, the 22-year-old’s 94 missed tackles forced ranked second in the FBS last season. He’s not special out of the backfield, but Vidal’s tape shows a capable receiver with more pass protection refinement than the average rookie. He lands in a nice spot under run-loving HC Jim Harbaugh in a relatively wide-open backfield alongside J.K. Dobbins and Gus Edwards. It shouldn’t be considered a surprise if Vidal pushes for snaps in 2024.

The Chargers traded up in Round 2 of the NFL Draft to select Georgia WR Ladd McConkey 34th overall. McConkey’s raw college production doesn’t jump off the page. He never reached 60 catches or 800 yards in a season. But he played in a run-leaning Georgia offense and had to battle TE Brock Bowers (among others) for targets. McConkey was super efficient, leaving school with career 75.3% catch rate and 2.54 yards per route. His career-best 3.26 yards per route last year ranked eighth among 409 WRs with 35+ targets. McConkey is devastatingly quick and a polished route runner, making him one of the best separators in this WR class. And he’s a weapon after the catch, with a career 0.25 missed tackles forced per catch – a better rate than guys like Marvin Harrison Jr. and Rome Odunze. McConkey boosted his stock at the Combine with a 4.39-second 40 time and 9.34 Relative Athletic Score. The 6’0, 186-pounder can play both outside and in the slot. He might not big a big-play producer or high-TD-rate receiver at the next level, but McConkey has the potential to rack up a bunch of receptions. Going to the Chargers presents immediate opportunity. The WR corps shed Mike Williams and Keenan Allen this offseason, leaving Josh Palmer and Quentin Johnston as the top returning players. The landing spot helps McConkey's fantasy outlook. Check out our rookie rankings to see where he lands.

Former Ravens RB J.K. Dobbins plans to sign a one-year contract with the Chargers, according to multiple reports. This comes after Dobbins visited several teams. He lands with the franchise that already signed his former teammate Gus Edwards. We'll see about the specific terms of Dobbins' deal, but Edwards landed a two-year pact worth $6.5 million total, with $3.375 million in guarantees. We'll bet that Dobbins gets significantly less coming off his September Achilles' tear (and checkered injury history). The former second-round pick will be interesting to watch this summer, especially in a backfield that could present open competition for touches. But Edwards stands as the better bet for work right now. And we'd bet on the Chargers adding a RB in the draft. For now, don't let Chargers RBs factor heavily into your draft plans -- despite their modest best ball ADP numbers.

RB J.K. Dobbins (Achilles) has been cleared for football activities, his surgeon wrote in a letter to teams on Tuesday. Dobbins looks “outstanding” after his rehab from September Achilles surgery, Dr. Neal ElAttrache said. Dobbins is expected to begin taking free-agent visits soon, according to NFL Network's Pelissero. A torn ACL and torn Achilles have limited Dobbins to just nine games over the past three seasons, and it's fair to wonder if the 25-year-old can regain pre-injury form. He's no more than a late-round flier in early fantasy drafts. We'll see where he lands in free agency.

ESPN's Adam Schefter reports that the Chargers have agreed to a two-year deal with former Ravens RB Gus Edwards. There are several interesting points here: 1) The quick signing points to the Chargers specifically targeting Edwards. 2) New Chargers HC Jim Harbaugh should be fairly familiar with Edwards, who has played all his NFL seasons to date under HC John Harbaugh. 3) There's plenty of available opportunity. There's been no indication the Chargers plan to bring back Austin Ekeler (though we'll see) to what was one of the league's worst backfields in 2023. Harbaugh and new OC Greg Roman, meanwhile, bring run-heavy backgrounds. You shouldn't get excited about Edwards. But he makes plenty of sense later in best ball drafts. Just beware of him flying up the ADP board in the wake of this signing. Check our best ball rankings to see where Edwards lands.

The Panthers released TE Hayden Hurst, according to The Athletic's Joe Person. Hurst caught 18 balls over the first nine games of last season and then missed the final eight with a concussion that led to post-traumatic amnesia. Hurst has said that he wants to continue his football career, but he's not a good bet to be a fantasy asset in 2024 or beyond. We'll see where he lands next.

Ravens RB J.K. Dobbins is running short sprints and jogging on a treadmill in a recent video posted to social media. He's 5.5 months removed from surgery to repair his torn Achilles. It was the latest setback for a guy who's been snakebitten by injuries, most notably the Achilles and a multi-ligament knee injury in 2021. Dobbins has averaged a big 5.8 yards per carry across 234 NFL attempts, but there's no guarantee that he makes it back to pre-injury form. We'll continue to track his rehab from this latest injury but consider him just a late-round flier in early fantasy drafts.

New Chargers OC Greg Roman told reporters recently that he wants a "balanced" offense. "We want to be able to run it when we want to run it and throw it when we want to throw it," Roman added. "If they present looks that are favorable to run it, then we want to be able to run it at a high level. Every place I’ve been, that’s kind of been the goal, to try to have that complete attack." That jibes with HC John Harbaugh saying at his introductory press conference that he wants to "beef up the run game." Both Harbaugh and Roman have extensive histories of run-leaning offenses. That'd be a big shift for the Chargers, who ranked top-5 in pass attempts in each of QB Justin Herbert's first four seasons. It wouldn't make sense for Roman to deploy a super run-heavy offense with a QB as talented as Herbert. But we're certainly expecting the Chargers to throw less this coming season than they have the last four. Herbert and his pass catchers will need to make up for the loss in volume with improved efficiency.

RB Gus Edwards' contract with the Ravens voided on Monday, setting him up to hit free agency next month. Edwards led Ravens RBs and set career highs last year with 198 carries, 810 yards, and 13 TDs. His 4.1 yards per carry was a career low, although Edwards still ranked a respectable 20th out of 49 qualifying RBs in NFL Next Gen Stats' Rush Yards Over Expected Per Attempt. Edwards turns 29 in April and offers next to nothing in the passing game. But he's still capable of helping as a between-the-tackles and short-yardage back. We'll see where he lands in free agency. The Ravens' RB depth chart, meanwhile, is topped by a couple of guys recovering from serious injuries in J.K. Dobbins and Keaton Mitchell. ESPN's Jeremy Fowler reported recently that Baltimore could target a RB "with pedigree" in free agency. Saquon Barkley, Josh Jacobs, Derrick Henry, Tony Pollard, and D'Andre Swift highlight the free-agent RB class.

The Chargers have hired Greg Roman as OC. He joins new HC Jim Harbaugh to lead a coaching staff with a run-heavy background. Roman has spent 10 years as an NFL OC with the 49ers (2011-14), Bills (2015-16), and Ravens (2019-22). Nine of those offenses ranked 28th or lower in pass attempts. All 10 ranked among the top 9 in rush attempts, including seven years inside the top 3. It's important to note the starting QBs for those teams. San Francisco (with Harbaugh as HC) transitioned from Alex Smith to Colin Kaepernick midway through 2012. Tyrod Taylor started for those Buffalo teams. And Lamar Jackson was the guy for Roman's full Baltimore run. Justin Herbert is clearly less of a runner than any of those guys and (arguably?) the best passer of the bunch. We wouldn't bet on the new Chargers going as run-heavy as all those previous offenses, but we have to expect more rushing lean than in the past few seasons. L.A. has finished three straight years with rush rates lower than 40%, ranking among the league's most pass-leaning teams. Roman's QBs have tended to pass efficiently. Smith, Kaepernick, and Taylor all posted better net yards per pass attempt under Roman than without him. And Jackson's hyper-efficient 2019 came in Roman's Baltimore debut. The Chargers have a lot more to sort through this offseason before we'll really know what the offense will look like. For now, though, we're lowering the expectation at least a bit for Chargers passing numbers. That said, Justin Herbert already sits just 10th among QBs in Underdog ADP. Feel free to take shots on him at that level, and know that he still carries upside beyond that.

Per ESPN's Adam Schefter, the Los Angeles Chargers have reached an agreement with Jim Harbaugh to become their new head coach. Harbaugh, who has coached the University of Michigan's football team since 2015, was last employed in the professional ranks with the San Francisco 49ers between 2011-14. He guided the 49ers to three straight NFC Championship appearances and one Super Bowl loss across those four years. This is undoubtedly a massive addition for a Chargers' offense that ranked 18th in total offense in 2023. Harbaugh's background (15 years as an NFL QB) and track record of success should bode well for the prospects of QB Justin Herbert and company. We'll be sure to follow any other significant changes coming in Los Angeles, including who becomes their next general manager, but their circumstances are starting to look up now with Harbaugh in the fold following a disappointing 5-12 season.

Chargers first-round rookie WR Quentin Johnston delivered one more garbage outing in Sunday's loss to the Chiefs. He managed just 2 receptions for 17 yards on 5 targets. That tied him for fourth among Chargers. He trailed WR Josh Palmer (10), RB Austin Ekeler (8), and TE Donald Parham (6) while tying the immortal Alex Erickson. Johnston finishes his debut season with just 36 receptions, 414 yards, and 2 TDs. He entered Sunday ranked 99th among WRs in PPR points per game. Johnston also sat just 22nd among 37 rookie WRs in yards per route, according to Pro Football Focus. He's not necessarily doomed as a fantasy prospect. But this rookie season has been bad enough to remove any optimism. We wouldn't drop Johnston from typical dynasty rosters. But you also shouldn't consider him a buy-low this offseason. If you have him and others come shopping, think about letting the potential bust go.

Chargers WR Josh Palmer has cleared concussion protocol and will play vs. the Chiefs this weekend. He's the best bet for targets in the Keenan Allen-less WR corps, but Palmer still isn't an exciting fantasy play with QB Easton Stick under center.

On Friday, multiple reports indicated that the Chargers have parted ways with HC Brandon Staley and GM Tom Telesco. This news doesn't come as much of a surprise following the team's 63-21 collapse vs. the Raiders on Thursday night. Across nearly three full seasons on the job, Staley finished with a 24-24 record and appeared in just one playoff game. Who will take over as the interim coach is not known as of the time of this writing. Stay tuned for further updates.

Update: The Chargers have named Giff Smith interim HC and JoJo Wooden as interim GM, according to NFL Network's Ian Rapoport. Smith has been the team's outside LBs coach the past two years and was an NFL defensive line coach for 11 seasons before that. It looks like OC Kellen Moore will remain with the Chargers at least for the rest of this season.

The Panthers are placing TE Hayden Hurst (concussion) on IR. Hurst was concussed back in Week 10 and dealt with post-traumatic amnesia. He did not suffer a setback, according to ESPN's David Newton. The team is just being cautious by holding him out for the rest of the season. Hurst caught five balls back in Week 1 but totaled only 13 more grabs over his final eight games in a pathetic Panthers passing game. Hurst is signed with Carolina at a $10 million cap hit in 2024. We'll see how the team handles that. Hurst won't be a target in 2024 redraft fantasy leagues and has minimal dynasty value.

Chargers QB Justin Herbert's rehab from surgery to his fractured right index finger is expected to take six weeks, according to Prime TV's Kaylee Hartung. HC Brandon Staley told Hartung that there are no long-term concerns for Herbert. The injury shouldn't impact his 2024 offseason. Herbert figures to be playing for a new coaching staff next season, and we'll see if WRs Keenan Allen and Mike Williams are back. Both guys are signed for 2024 but have massive cap hits.

Chargers TE Donald Parham (shoulder) is inactive for tonight's game vs. the Raiders. That figures to be a boost in playing time for TE Gerald Everett -- although he's still tough to trust in fantasy lineups with QB Easton Stick at the controls.

Chargers TE Donald Parham (shoulder) was limited in practice all week and is listed as questionable for Thursday night's game vs. the Raiders. Parham would be a TD-or-bust desperation fantasy start if he suits up. His absence would be a slight boost for TE Gerald Everett.

Chargers WR Josh Palmer (knee) was a full participant in Tuesday's practice and was activated to the 53-man roster. He's set to play vs. the Raiders on Thursday night for the first time since Week 8. Palmer figures to slide back in as Los Angeles' No. 2 WR but isn't a very attractive fantasy option with QB Easton Stick. Palmer would at least be a WR4 consideration if WR Keenan Allen's heel injury keeps him out on Thursday night.

Chargers QB Justin Herbert will miss the rest of the season after fracturing the index finger in his right (throwing) hand, according to multiple reports. That leaves fifth-year QB Easton Stick to pilot the offense over the final four games. Stick has been with the Chargers since they drafted him in Round 5 back in 2019, but he had attempted just one regular season pass before Sunday. Stick went a forgettable 13 of 24 passing for 179 yards after taking over against the Broncos, throwing no TDs or INTs but fumbling twice (losing one). His 2023 preseason also proved unimpressive, including a 60.3% completion rate, 5.2 yards per pass attempt, 1 TD, 2 INTs, and a 9.0% sack rate. The QB situation obviously downgrades everyone on the Chargers' offense. WR Keenan Allen should remain usable. Stick targeted Allen on 37.5% of his attempts against Denver. He threw another 20.8% toward RB Austin Ekeler, the only other Chargers offensive piece you should still consider using. WRs Quentin Johnston and Joshua Palmer and TE Gerald Everett look droppable for other options. Herbert should have plenty of time to recover ahead of the 2024 season.