Ladd McConkey Is A Fantasy Football Bargain

The Chargers overcame injuries on their offensive line to go 11-6 and make the playoffs last season. A lot of good things happened along the way, but the performance of Ladd McConkey wasn’t exactly one of them. As he tries to bounce back from a disappointing sophomore campaign, McConkey has the potential to shine in fantasy football under a new offensive coordinator in 2026.

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Breakout Rookie Season

The Chargers selected McConkey with the 34th pick in the 2024 Draft. His rookie season couldn’t have gone much better as he finished with 82 receptions for 1,149 yards and seven touchdowns. He had a team-leading 112 targets, with the next closest player behind him being Quentin Johnston with 91 targets.

While it didn’t help fantasy managers, McConkey raised his stock even more in the Chargers’ lone playoff game. In a Wild Card matchup versus a stingy Texans’ defense, McConkey caught nine of 14 targets for 197 yards and one touchdown. He had all the makings of a wide receiver who would produce 1,000-yard campaigns on a yearly basis.

Disappointing 2025 Performance

With high expectations coming with McConkey last season, he ended up being a disappointment for those who drafted him. He played exactly 16 games as he did during his rookie year, but posted just 66 receptions for 789 yards and six touchdowns. His 106 targets were down slightly, but a big difference was that he was only being targeted on 19.2% of his routes run. As a rookie, he was targeted on 23.3% of his routes. He averaged 2.39 yards per route run as a rookie, then 1.43 yards per route run last year.

One of the key differences for McConkey last season was the Chargers bringing in Keenan Allen for his second stint with the franchise. Although he wasn’t the player that he was during his prime, Allen still led the team with 122 targets. Johnston also remained heavily involved with 84 targets.

Offseason Changes Can Work In McConkey’s Favor

The Chargers’ offense has a lot of room for improvement this year. Having a healthy offensive line would allow Justin Herbert to be more productive in the pocket. The Chargers also haven’t brought back Allen, setting up McConkey to lead the team in targets again. Johnston is lined up to be their WR2, while Tre’ Harris and rookie Brenen Thompson are the top options behind him.

The WR depth chart isn’t the only change for McConkey heading into this season. The Chargers have a new offensive coordinator, appointing Mike McDaniel to the position following his departure from the Dolphins. While his tenure as their head coach ended in failure, he is still considered one of the better offensive minds in the NFL.

McDaniel spent four seasons as the head coach of the Dolphins and had a history of leaning heavily on his top two wide receivers there. In his first three seasons as a head coach, Tyreek Hill led the Dolphins with 170, 171, and 123 targets. Jaylen Waddle had 117, 104, and 83 targets over those three seasons. Even in what was a disastrous 2025 season in which Hill only played four games, Waddle led the team with 100 targets.

What is also exciting about McDaniel now being on board with the Chargers is what he can do with Herbert under center. He made the most out of his pairing with Tua Tagovailoa in Miami, but Herbert is better than him by leaps and bounds. Even when McDaniel was the offensive coordinator for the 49ers in 2021, he had an underwhelming quarterback in Jimmy Garoppolo. That season, Deebo Samuel, who was the WR1 for San Francisco, turned 121 targets into 77 receptions, 1,405 yards, and six touchdowns.

Despite things falling McConkey’s way this offseason, his ADP of 42 makes him WR20, according to 4for4’s Multi-Site ADP. Players being selected in the same range are Tetairoa McMillan (ADP 39), Emeka Egbuka (ADP 41), and Waddle (ADP 44). A case can certainly be made for selecting him over McMillan, who has a far inferior quarterback throwing him passes in Bryce Young. McConkey is being selected as a low-end WR2 in fantasy right now, but he has the potential to outproduce his ADP. Not only can he be a top WR2, but he could threaten to be a WR1 in 12-team formats. In his rookie season, he finished as WR11, per 4for4’s Fantasy Points Browser. Maybe the only thing holding fantasy managers back right now is that Allen is still unsigned. If he were to sign with the Chargers, then McConkey’s ADP would look more appropriate.

The Bottom Line

• As the top wide receiver for the Chargers, Ladd McConkey thrived during his rookie season in 2024.
• With the Chargers adding Allen back into the fold last year, McConkey finished second to him in targets and saw his overall fantasy production decline.
• Los Angeles has not brought back Allen, leaving McConkey as their WR1 again. They also upgraded their offensive coordinator with the hiring of McDaniel.
• According to 4for4’s Multi-Site ADP, McConkey has an ADP of 42 and is WR20.
• McConkey has the potential to be a bargain based on where he is being selected among wide receivers. He has WR1 upside in fantasy again, which he showed as a rookie when he finished as WR11.