Why Ladd McConkey has plenty of fantasy upside
Yahoo Fantasy's Matt Harmon and Ray Garvin explain why McConkey can bounce back with a new Chargers offense in 2026. Check out the full conversation on the "Yahoo Fantasy Forecast" podcast - and subscribe on Apple Podcasts , Spotify or wherever you listen.
Video Transcript
I, I agree.
Like, I think he's, he's a baller and could be one of those guys that, you know, I don't know if he's gonna go full Jaxon Smith-Njigba, right?
But he's one of those guys who's a slot mostly player and becomes an outside receiver who's winning on these downfield routes.
Like, I, I think we've seen enough evidence that he can be that guy in the NFL, as long as his body holds up, right?
Like, I have a player- Yeah comparison tool at Reception Perception.
He does kinda compare a little bit to Tyler Lockett, which Lockett's a guy that, you know, dealt with a lot of injuries, probably couldn't handle 140, 150 targets in a season.
I get that, but what do you think the range of outcomes tool would've printed for Ladd McConkey after year one?
Probably a higher range of outcomes, right?
And, and how do you square, like when you're doing your analysis- Yeah how do you kinda square one season to another?
S- so I, I, I guess this is a philosophical conversation because you can look at things in totality.
The range of outcome tool in which we presented some of the screenshots today is week one through 17.
You could segment it down, and sometimes I like to break it down, Matt, because a season is like multiple seasons inside of seasons.
Things happen, things change.
Yeah.
And when I look at Ladd last year, weeks 10 through 18, and I know we stopped playing in week 17, we're talking about a player sub 15% target share.
I just, that's, that, that's not wide rec- That, that's not even, that's nowhere close to a team's wide Like, something was off in LA in that room, and I'm just, I'm not carrying that forward.
I'm not saying that he has to have his greatest usage profile and now that's all I wanna stick on.
No, the, some of the bad sticks in, and we're showing that here.
Yeah.
That's why the, the highest range is only 14.8 points per game.
But I'm just not buying that with him being healthy on the field, you're talking about a sub 15% target share guy in 2026.
So that alone, when I'm looking at the numbers, I, I look at the median like, okay, if he can get me that, right, and then not be a sub 15% target share guy for eight freaking games of the season, then just logically he will be better.
Keenan Allen is gone.
I don't know what's going on in the tight end room, but what I do know is I, I think pretty objectively he's the best receiver on that team, playing with one of the best quarterbacks in the NFL.
Yeah.
We like the environment.
That, that's You, you gotta kinda break down the season inside the season as well.
Yeah.
I, I kinda, and maybe this is just me, which is weird 'cause I'm not like this in every area of my life, but I tend to skew a little optimistic with players sometimes.
It's like, if you've shown me a great season, I believe that that player is in there somewhere.
And it's like, don't overcomplicate it here.
Th- he's shown that ceiling.
You said it.
He's the best receiver on the team, I think pretty clearly.
Justin Herbert is a great quarterback.
Mike McDaniel is a great offensive coach.
Like, let's not overcomplicate this thing here too much.
Like, all the variables are pointing in one specific direction
