2026 Team Outlook: Los Angeles Chargers
WR Quentin Johnston, LAC - Quality Backup
Johnston's rookie season was a disappointment relative to his draft billing. He caught just 38 of 67 targets (56.7%) for 440 yards and two touchdowns, finishing 74th in PPR fantasy scoring with 94.00 points despite receiving WR2 snaps in 64.6% of the Chargers' plays. He reached double-digit fantasy points in five games but never consistently delivered on his early-round draft capital. Year two showed meaningful growth, but it came in an uneven fashion. Johnston played in 15 games with a WR2 snap share of 62.6%, catching 55 of 91 targets (60.4%) for 711 yards and eight touchdowns. He had his moments earlier in the season (a 5/51/2 performance and a 4/118/1 outing stood out) while logging six or fewer targets in nine of his first 10 starts, limiting his week-to-week fantasy ceiling. An ankle injury sidelined him for two midseason games. He closed the year on a strong note, seeing 31 combined targets from Weeks 14 through 17 before a dominant Week 18 finale (13 catches for 186 yards on 14 targets). His late-season surge offered a glimpse of what Johnston can be when featured consistently. Johnston had almost the identical season in 2025 (51/735/8 on 84 targets) while playing in one fewer game (14). His yards per catch (14.4) was a career high. He jumped out of the gate with four playable games (5/79/2, 3/71/1, 6/89, and 8/98/1), while offering starting fantasy stats in five other matchups (2/30/1, 4/53/1, 3/23/1, 4/104/1, and 5/98). On the downside, Johnston posted two no-catch games, along with two other empty days (2/8 and 3/20). The Chargers rested him in Week 18. His two missed games came via hamstring and groin issues while also battling minor shoulder and shin
injuries during the year. Johnston was on the field for 63.9% of Los Angeles' plays as their WR2. Fantasy Outlook: In 2026, the Chargers should throw more balls to the tight end position, and Tre' Harris gets a bump in value with Keenan Allen no longer on the roster. Based on this, will Johnston make another small step forward, or blossom into an active second receiving option role for Los Angeles? His early ADP (85) in the National Fantasy Football Championship paints him as a mid-tier WR4 in PPR formats, despite him ranking 34th at wide receiver last season (172.40 fantasy points). Johnston brings proven explosiveness, and he continues to improve. A longer passing window should be a win for his fantasy value this year. I prefer to roster him as an upside WR4 while also understanding he is already a value in drafts. Let's go with 65 catches for 850 yards and repeated success in scoring.
WR Tre Harris, LAC - Sleeper (undervalued)
Harris built his college resume steadily across four seasons at Louisiana Tech and Ole Miss, finishing with 220 catches for 3,532 yards and 29 touchdowns. His receiving yards climbed every year, from 562 as a freshman to 1,030 in his final season. His explosiveness jumped after transferring to Ole Miss, where he averaged 18.2 and 17.2 yards per catch in his two seasons with the Rebels. Harris never exceeded 65 catches in a single year, and a groin injury cost him five games in his final season. His 2023 campaign featured five 100-yard performances, including an 11-catch, 213-yard effort that stood as his best single-game output that year. He carried that momentum into 2024 with an impressive seven- game stretch to open the season, posting back-to-back outings of 11/225/2 and 11/176/1 at the peak, before his injury slowed him down.
The player Harris showed himself to be last season carries a higher ceiling than most initially projected. At 6'2" and 205 pounds, he has the frame to win at all levels, while racking up a high volume of deep catches in 2024 despite running a 4.54 40-yard dash, proving he doesn't need elite speed to get behind defenses. That said, replicating that kind of deep production against NFL cornerbacks in tighter passing windows will be a real challenge. Where Harris can consistently add value is after the catch. He runs with intent and purpose, giving him the ability to turn short completions into first downs. Winning more consistently in contested coverage situations will be the key to maximizing his potential at the next level. In his rookie season, the Chargers only looked his way 43 times, leading to 30 catches for 324 yards and one touchdown. He failed to score over 10.00 PPR fantasy points in any matchup. His top three target games (5, 5, and 6) came over the final four weeks. Los Angeles had him on the field for 49.0% of their plays. Fantasy Outlook: The top three wideouts for the Chargers combined for 198 catches last year, suggesting a push to at least 50 catches for Harris with 600 yards and about five scores. He fails in the sleeper category (WR63) in 2026 with a 14th-round ADP (161) in the National Fantasy Football Championship.
RB Kimani Vidal, LAC - Deep-league Only
Selected by the Chargers in the sixth round of the 2024 NFL Draft, Vidal was a workhorse at Troy across four seasons, accumulating 4,710
combined yards, 34 touchdowns, and 92 receptions on 873 touches. He announced himself as a legitimate contributor in 2021 with 1,132 rushing yards and 10 touchdowns on 231 carries, then took another leap in 2023 with a standout campaign of 1,661 yards and 14 touchdowns on 297 attempts, adding 18 catches for 201 yards and a score. He averaged 5.1 yards per carry throughout his college career. At 5'8" and 215 pounds, Vidal is compact but powerful, and his 4.46 40- yard dash at the combine checked in above the positional average, adding some athleticism to his stocky frame. He's not yet where he needs to be in pass protection, which could limit his role on passing downs early in his career, but he's a capable receiver out of the backfield and shouldn't be a liability when targeted. As a runner, Vidal is patient and instinctive — he reads blocks well, waits for his moment, and has the burst to exploit a gap once it opens. He's a grinder between the tackles who runs with physicality and can shed arm tackles to squeeze out extra yards in space. His tools are there for a productive, complementary role in the right system. In his rookie season, the Chargers gave him 43 rushes for 155 yards (3.6 YPC) with some chances to catch the ball (5/62/1). The injury to Omarion Hampton led to Vidal having an active RB1 role for half of 2025. He gained 100 combined yards in five contests, highlighted by four productive fantasy days in PPR formats (22.80, 19.70, 17.80, and 20.70). On his down games, Vidal scored fewer than 10.00 fantasy points in seven matchups. His first four weeks of last season came on the Chargers' practice squad. Fantasy Outlook: Vidal will compete for RB2 snaps in Los Angeles' offense. The high-stakes fantasy market in mid-June has him priced as the third back drafted in this offense with a flier ADP (184).
RB Keaton Mitchell, LAC - Fantasy Handcuff
Mitchell signed with Baltimore as an undrafted free agent following the 2023 NFL Draft, coming off two productive seasons at East Carolina, where he carried the ball 375 times for 2,584 yards and 23 touchdowns while proving himself as a receiving back with back-to-back seasons of 22 and 27 catches. Despite being undersized at 5'8" and 180 pounds, he ran a 4.37 at the combine, signaling his elite speed. He made an immediate impression as a rookie, racking up 489 combined yards, two touchdowns, and nine catches across eight games before suffering a torn ACL in his left knee in late December. He flashed his big-play ability with a 9/134/1 outing in Week 9 and topped 60 yards in four other matchups, with the Ravens feeding him at least 10 touches in four games. Injuries have derailed his development since. Hamstring and shoulder issues cost him time at the start of the following season, and his ACL recovery limited him to just 16 touches for 58 combined yards and one catch in 2024, with Baltimore giving him only 36 snaps all year. Baltimore gave him a career 68 touches last year over 13 games, leading to 404 combined yards with one score and nine catches. He gained an impressive 5.8 yards per carry in a run-heavy offense. The Ravens listed Mitchell as inactive for the first three games. He battled a minor knee injury late in the season, and a calf issue cost him the final game of the year. Fantasy Outlook: What was once a promising trajectory has stalled considerably, and Mitchell now faces the challenge of recapturing his early momentum while proving he can stay healthy enough to carve out a consistent role. The Chargers paid him $9.25 million in March for two seasons to improve their explosiveness with their running back depth. At this point, Mitchell is a low-level flier as a change-of-pace back until he proves he can get more touches weekly and hold up with a heavier
workload. His ADP (128) in the National Fantasy Football Championship is higher than I expected (RB41) when doing his player profile.
WR Brenen Thompson, LAC - Dynasty Only
After three quiet seasons at Texas and Oklahoma, Thompson finally soared in 2024 after transferring to Mississippi State. He caught 57 of his 90 targets for 1,054 yards and six touchdowns while gaining an impressive 18.5 yards per catch. His best value came in four games (6/133/2, 7/155, 6/107, and 4/106). Thompson had a floor of six catches in six matchups. He ran a 4.26 40-yard dash at the NFL Combine. Thompson is an undersized wideout (5'9" and 165 lbs.) who brings elusive quickness off
the line of scrimmage, even against press coverage. His challenged comes catching in tight quarters. Fantasy Outlook: The Chargers will use Thompson in situational matchups in four-wide receiver sets. He will go undrafted in 12-team formats in 2026.
