The Chargers were the first team to open training camp this season, and they also have a lot of movement with their roster. Mike Williams informed the Chargers on Thursday that he plans to retire, and running back Najee Harris was placed on the active/non-football list due to an eye injury.
While Williams, 30, wasn’t expected to be much of a Fantasy asset this season, his absence is noteworthy for the Chargers passing game, especially rookie Tre Harris and third-year receiver Quentin Johnston. Ladd McConkey’s Fantasy value wasn’t expected to be impacted by Williams, and McConkey should be considered a low-end No. 1 receiver worth drafting toward the end of Round 2 or beginning of Round 3 in all leagues.
I’m also not adjusting my ranking for Justin Herbert, who remains a late-round pick in one-quarterback formats and a mid-round selection in Superflex and two-quarterback leagues. Herbert, who averaged 19.5 Fantasy points per game last season, still has the same outlook this season without Williams, who is a high-end backup.
Harris, a second-round pick in the NFL Draft from Ole Miss, should benefit the most with Williams gone. He signed his rookie contract Thursday to end his short holdout, and the Chargers probably want Harris to win a starting job this season after selecting him with the No. 55 overall pick this year.
In his past two seasons at Ole Miss, Harris had 114 catches for 2,015 yards and 15 touchdowns on 72 targets in 20 games. He had a 66.3 percent catch rate and averaged 11.7 yards per target. Harris could become an immediate threat for Herbert, and we like Harris as a sleeper with a late-round pick in all formats.
As for Johnston, he struggled through the first two years of his career after he was the No. 21 overall selection in the first round of the 2023 NFL Draft. He had 38 catches for 431 yards and two touchdowns on 67 targets as a rookie, and then he had 55 catches for 711 yards and eight touchdowns on 91 targets last year.
It’s hard to envision a third-year breakout for Johnston because of McConkey and Harris, but Williams’ departure offers some hope. And Johnston did score at least 15.5 PPR points in three of his final five games last season with 45 targets over that span. He’s a good late-round flier in deeper leagues, but Johnston should be drafted after Harris as of now.
The Chargers also have bench receivers like Jalen Reagor, Derius Davis, and fifth-round rookie KeAndre Lambert-Smith, and we’ll see if there’s any buzz for those guys as training camp goes on. For now, none of them are worth drafting in the majority of Fantasy leagues. The Chargers could also add another receiver, and notable free agents include Keenan Allen and Amari Cooper, which is something to watch.
The tight ends could also benefit with Williams gone, and they have a trio of players to monitor in training camp. Tyler Conklin, who was signed as a free agent from the Jets, will likely be the starter, but veteran Will Dissly and promising rookie Oronde Gadsden II are also in the mix for playing time. I’m not planning to draft any of the Chargers tight ends in most leagues, but the winner of this battle could eventually emerge as an option off the waiver wire.
At running back, we expect Najee Harris to be fine, but his eye injury is worth monitoring. He was injured as a result of a fireworks mishap on July Fourth and isn’t expected to remain on the NFI list for long.
That said, any extended training camp absence for Harris is only a benefit for rookie Omarion Hampton. The first-round pick in the NFL Draft from North Carolina will hopefully prove he deserves a hefty workload, and Hampton is worth selecting in redraft leagues as early as Round 5.
The earliest I would draft Harris is Round 8, but I hope he’s the backup to Hampton, who has the potential to be a top-20 Fantasy running back in all leagues. Harris would only be worth starting this season if Hampton has to miss any time due to injury.
