Los Angeles Chargers

Los Angeles Chargers wide receiver Joshua Palmer (knee) had a rough game in Week 1, picking up a knee injury and getting ejected while only putting up two catches for 15 yards. Assuming he's healthy after picking up a limited tag in practice, Palmer should be in a much better place to perform against a Panthers defense that coughed up 47 points in the season opener. Palmer should operate as the team's WR1 and was on the field for 81% of the offensive snaps in Week 1. As long as he plays, he's essentially a lock to outscore his 2.5 fantasy point performance from the Raiders matchup. If healthy, Palmer is a fairly safe WR3 with decent upside.

Los Angeles Chargers rookie wide receiver Ladd McConkey is set to repeat his solid NFL debut performance in a Week 2 matchup against the Carolina Panthers. McConkey scored his first touchdown in Week 1 and caught a total of five passes for 39 yards. The rookie slot receiver had a 26.9% target share and was the first read on 25% of Justin Herbert's drop backs. McConkey will run a lot of underneath routes for planned short gains, making him much more valuable in PPR formats, but his usage in Week 1 showed that he can certainly develop into a weekly WR3/FLEX option even in a run-first offense.

Los Angeles Chargers running back Gus Edwards will look to establish himself in his role in a Week 2 game against the Carolina Panthers. Edwards and J.K. Dobbins were expected to have an almost even share of the backfield this season, but in Week 1, Dobbins put up 139 combined yards while Edwards gained just 28. Edwards was on the field for 42% of the offensive snaps and ran just six passing routes compared to 17 for Dobbins. The way Edwards plays always makes him a threat to score a goal line touchdown, but he'll likely need to find the end zone in order to put up a decent fantasy performance. He's a risky RB3 even with an excellent matchup against a Panthers offense that was torched on the ground in Week 1.

Los Angeles Chargers running back J.K. Dobbins will look for a repeat performance of his outstanding Week 1 game when the Chargers take on the Carolina Panthers in Week 2. Dobbins played on 58% of the team's offensive snaps in Week 1 and put up 139 yards on 13 touches. He also ran 17 pass routes and most importantly, looked completely healthy after injuries forced him to play in just nine games in the past two seasons combined. Dobbins put up his gaudy Week 1 numbers against a Raiders defense that was supposed to be strong against the run. In Week 2, he gets to face a Panthers defensive unit that allowed the third-most rushing yards in the season's opening week. Dobbins has RB1 upside this week, but is safer as a higher-end RB2.

Los Angeles Chargers quarterback Justin Herbert could have another mediocre performance in a Week 2 matchup against the Carolina Panthers. Herbert led the Chargers to a win over the Raiders in Week 1, but it was mostly the running game and defense that did the work. Herbert put up just 10.4 fantasy points in standard scoring leagues, completing 17 of his 26 pass attempts for 144 yards and a touchdown. The Chargers attempted 26 passes and 27 runs, and it seems likely that a similar pattern will continue, greatly limiting Herbert's fantasy production. He'll likely have some huge games this season if the Chargers find themselves trailing and forced to throw, but it appears the game plan for the Bolts offense will be to run the ball and win the field position battle on defense. Herbert should be a steady, high-floor QB2, but the top-tier upside his talent implies is unlikely to be on display in Week 2.