2026 Fantasy Football: Los Angeles Chargers Player Outlooks and Draft Strategy

Fantasy Football 2026 Chargers deep dive: Players outlooks, players to target, avoid at ADP and more

Jamey Eisenberg dives deep on the Chargers outlook in Fantasy for 2026

By Jamey Eisenberg

May 14, 2026 at 8:56 am ET • 6 min read

We are full go with our preparation for the upcoming Fantasy season, which means it's time to write all the player outlooks for this year. I'm privileged to get the AFC West, and we're going to do team-by-team previews as well. Here, you get to see all the interesting information I find about the Los Angeles Chargers . I'll highlight players to target, as well as others to avoid. And you'll get a good idea of what the Chargers can hopefully do in 2026. Let's see if Los Angeles is a Fantasy destination for you this year.

Team Breakdown

Coach: Jim Harbaugh Offensive coordinator: Mike McDaniel (replaces Greg Roman) Key addition: TE David Njoku (via trade from Miami) Draft pick of note: WR Brenen Thompson (Round 4 from Mississippi State) 2026 strength of schedule: No. 9 (opponents combined 2025 record: 151-138)

2025 numbers of note

Points for: No. 20 at 368 (21.6 per game) Passing yards: No. 18 at 3,608 (212.2 per game) Passing attempts: No. 13 at 569 Rushing yards: No. 12 at 2,067 (121.6 per game) Rushing attempts: No. 15 at 466

Players to target based on Average Draft Position (ADP)

1. Justin Herbert

There's a lot to like about Herbert this season, and he should be drafted as a No. 1 Fantasy quarterback in all leagues. In one-quarterback leagues, Herbert is worth selecting as early as Round 5. And in Superflex and two-quarterback leagues, Herbert is worth drafting in Round 2. He should benefit with the addition of McDaniel as the offensive coordinator, as well as offensive tackles Rashawn Slater (knee) and Joe Alt (ankle) being healthy. Slater missed all of the 2025 campaign, and Alt was limited to six games. In those six games, Herbert averaged 25.1 Fantasy points per game. And McDaniel once helped Tua Tagovailoa lead the NFL in passing yards in 2023 with the Dolphins . Herbert has a solid receiving corps with Ladd McConkey , Quentin Johnston , Tre Harris , Thompson, Oronde Gadsden II and Njoku. And Herbert will use his legs since he's rushed for at least 300 yards and two touchdowns in each of the past two seasons. Herbert has the chance to be a league-winning quarterback in 2026, and I love his cost on FantasyPros at No. 71 overall as QB7.

2. Omarion Hampton

Hampton had an uneven rookie season in 2025 due to injury, but he played well when healthy. This year, with a healthy offensive line and McDaniel, Hampton has the chance to be a star. He is worth drafting in Round 2 in all leagues. Last season, Hampton played in the first five games before suffering an ankle injury that cost him seven contests. In those first five games, he had three outings with at least 13 PPR points, including two games with at least 24.9 PPR points. When he returned in Week 14, the Chargers' offensive line was a mess, but Hampton still managed three of four outings with at least 14.7 PPR points before sitting out Week 18. The Chargers will hopefully have Slater and Alt healthy for the majority of the season in 2026, and McDaniel was great with running backs during his time as the head coach in Miami with Raheem Mostert and De'Von Achane . Hampton could finish as a top-five Fantasy running back this year, but you can draft him at No. 24 overall as RB9 based on FantasyPros ADP, which is amazing value.

3. Ladd McConkey

McConkey has the chance for a bounce-back season in 2026, and he's worth drafting in Round 4 as a No. 2 Fantasy receiver in all leagues. In 2024, McConkey looked like a star with 82 catches for 1,149 yards and seven touchdowns on 112 targets, and he averaged 15.1 PPR points per game. He struggled in 2025 with 66 catches for 789 yards and six touchdowns on 106 targets, and he averaged just 11.3 PPR points per game. It's hard to pinpoint exactly what happened with McConkey. Keenan Allen was part of the Chargers' receiving corps in 2025, and his presence may have impacted McConkey. Herbert also struggled when the offensive line started to deal with injuries. McConkey needs to step up in his third year, and he should benefit with Allen gone, as well as playing for McDaniel. There's reason to buy into McConkey regaining his 2024 form, and he should be a good value pick at No. 37 overall as WR18 on FantasyPros.

4. Quentin Johnston

Johnston looked like a bust during his rookie campaign in 2023 when he averaged just 5.5 PPR points per game. He played better in Year 2 in 2024 at 11.7 PPR points per game. And he looked explosive at times in 2025 at 12.2 PPR points per game, which will hopefully carry over to this year. Johnston is worth drafting as a sleeper as early as Round 8 in the majority of leagues. In 2025, when Alt was healthy to open the season, Johnston averaged 19.9 PPR points in the first four games of the year. That indicates that when Herbert had time to throw, Johnston was able to make plays in this offense. Alt and Slater should be healthy to open the season, which is a plus for Johnston and Herbert. Allen is also gone for the Chargers, so Johnston and McConkey should lead the Chargers in targets. And McDaniel has indicated he's excited to work with Johnston this year. Once a bust, Johnston is now a playmaker for the Chargers -- and Fantasy managers -- and he could have a career season in 2026. He's a great value pick at his FantasyPros ADP of No. 104 overall as WR48.

Players to avoid based on Average Draft Position

1. Oronde Gadsden II Gadsden had the chance for a breakout season in 2026 before the Chargers signed Njoku in May. Now, Gadsden should be viewed as a No. 2 Fantasy tight end worth drafting with a late-round pick. Gadsden showed promise as a rookie in 2025 with 49 catches for 664 yards and three touchdowns on 69 targets in 15 games. He averaged 8.8 PPR points for the season, but he had six outings with at least 10.1 PPR points or more. He could still be the primary tight end ahead of Njoku, but Gadsden's path to success is tougher now. Fantasy managers should stash Gadsden on the end of the bench or view him as a waiver-wire option until he proves that he's better than Njoku -- if that happens. I expect his ADP to fall, but right now it's too high on FantasyPros at No. 117 overall as TE12.

2026 Prediction

I'm excited about the Chargers this season, especially on offense, with the addition of McDaniel and getting Slater and Alt back at 100 percent. The interior of the offensive line was also rebuilt with new additions at center ( Tyler Biadasz ), right guard ( Cole Strange ) and left guard ( Jake Slaughter ), and hopefully this group will give Herbert enough time to throw, as well as open up lanes for Hampton. As a team, I'm picking the Chargers to win the AFC West, and I expect them to make a Super Bowl run. We'll see if Herbert can overcome his postseason woes, but I'm counting on this offense to pop with McDaniel calling plays, especially if everyone can stay healthy. When Alt was on the field last year, Herbert excelled, which was a plus for Johnston. McConkey should rebound, and I like the additions of Njoku and Thompson. And don't overlook Tre Harris with a late-round pick in deeper leagues. Herbert averaged 26.3 Fantasy points in his rookie season in 2020 and 26.9 points in 2021. Since then, he's been at 21.2 Fantasy points or less in each of the past four seasons, but this will be a career year for him in 2026. McConkey will regain his 2024 form (15.1 PPR points per game), and Johnston will have a career season, averaging more than 13 PPR points per game. They will be the only pass catchers worth starting in Fantasy leagues, but the combination of Gadsden and Njoku will be streaming options during the season, especially if one of them suffers an injury. Harris and Thompson will also have value in deeper leagues, but neither will be consistent. The other breakout player for the Chargers will be Hampton, who will hopefully stay healthy all season and challenge to be a top-five Fantasy running back. Kimani Vidal and Keaton Mitchell will play minor roles, but McDaniel will lean on Hampton, who will be a league-winning Fantasy running back in 2026.

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_Originally reported by [CBS Sports](https://www.cbssports.com/fantasy/football/news/fantasy-football-2026-chargers-deep-dive-players-outlooks/)._