Los Angeles Chargers DVOA, Stats, & NFL Rankings

ESPN's Jeremy Fowler describes the Los Angeles Chargers' feeling on quarterback Justin Herbert (foot) as concern but not panic. They of course want their $52 million-per-year QB getting live reps in their new offense, but the hope and expectation remains that he will be ready for Week 1 of the regular season. Herbert will spend two weeks in a walking boot as he nurses plantar fascia, an the sense is that if he needs a bit more time in the boot, the Chargers will give it to him. Pain tolerance is usually an issue for this type of injury, but Herbert has shown a penchant for playing through pain. The bottom line, though, for fantasy managers is that Herbert is losing valuable reps in the run-heavy, play-action work that will be fairly new to him under offensive coordinator Greg Roman's system. Without his best playmakers from seasons past and now with an injury heading into the regular season, Herbert has slipped to QB2 territory in fantasy.

The Los Angeles Chargers have "major plans" for wide receiver Quentin Johnston this season, and offensive coordinator Greg Roman intends to manufacture opportunities for the second-year player, according to Dan Graziano and Jeremy Fowler of ESPN.com. Specifically, the Chargers want to give him more opportunities to produce after the catch, which is an area where he's excelled in the past. Los Angeles really liked what it saw in Johnston coming out of TCU and is ready to help him elevate his game despite a frustrating rookie campaign in which he caught just 56.7 percent of his targets and also logged three drops. Given that Johnston could start alongside Josh Palmer in the Los Angeles offense, he's an intriguing investment at his current Yahoo ADP of 182.

Los Angeles Chargers offensive coordinator Greg Roman spoke highly of J.K. Dobbins (Achilles), saying he is "as good as anybody" when healthy, according to Dan Graziano and Jeremy Fowler of ESPN.com. Dobbins has endured several major season-ending injuries before, but his offseason recovery has gone quite well and he's in the mix for the lead-back role with Gus Edwards. Both Edwards and Dobbins showed flashes of promise during their time together in Baltimore, but neither should be viewed as anything more than an RB3/FLEX option heading into the 2024 fantasy football season. As it stands, managers favor Edwards (Yahoo ADP of 100) over Dobbins (Yahoo ADP of 168) in redraft leagues.

Atlanta Falcons quarterback Taylor Heinicke was 4-for-11 in pass attempts Friday night in a 20-13 loss to the Miami Dolphins. The veteran quarterback was the second to enter the game after rookie sensation Michael Penix Jr., with 6:34 remaining in the second quarter. The veteran signal-caller was partly victimized by playing with second and third-string offensive linemen and skill players, making his poor passing line slightly more understandable. Nevertheless, Heinicke still has a clear lead in his battle with recent signee Nathan Rourke for the No. 3 quarterback job.

Los Angeles Chargers rookie wide receiver Ladd McConkey (lower body) returned to training camp practice on Thursday and was seen in a helmet and in uniform. McConkey returned to the practice field for the first time since getting injured on Saturday. Because of the injury, it seems unlikely that the Chargers will run the 22-year-old out there for the preseason opener on Saturday against the Seattle Seahawks. With Keenan Allen and Mike Williams no longer in town, McConkey, a second-round pick in this year's draft, is fully expected to start in three-receiver sets right away alongside Joshua Palmer and DJ Chark. McConkey's route-running skills could help him excel at the next level, but there are concerns about target volume in an offense that's expected to be much more run-heavy under new head coach Jim Harbaugh and offensive coordinator Greg Roman.