This past offseason, the Chargers lost Keenan Allen ($6,100) to the Bears and Mike Williams ($5,100) to the Jets, creating a huge void in their receiver room. When healthy, we know Justin Herbert ($5,500) can produce fantasy goodness, so can second-year WR Quentin Johnston ($4,900) step up and be relevant in fantasy leagues every week?
Johnston has been very involved the last two weeks. He caught five passes for 51 yards and two touchdowns in Week 2 against Carolina and followed that up with another touchdown and 44 yards in Week 3. Here’s his score against the Steelers:
Johnston was quiet in the second half as the Chargers went very run-heavy and later lost Herbert after he aggravated his high-ankle sprain. In good news, Johnston led the team in routes run this week, even though he only got two targets.
The team was 2-0 before losing on the road in Week 3 and will look to bounce back in Week 4 in a divisional matchup vs. the Chiefs. The Chargers may be forced to start Taylor Heinicke ($5,000) if Herbert is out, which could mean limited passing attempts and targets for Johnston.
However, if you’re taking a longer look, Johnston is a great option to stash. He’s still owned in less than half of leagues, even though he is stepping up as a red-zone favorite and getting a good target share. Johnston was disappointing last year in his rookie year, but he has made huge strides this season. Here’s how his coach Jim Harbaugh broke it down:
The Chargers are eight-point home underdogs in their divisional matchup against Patrick Mahomes and most of the player markets haven’t been set yet since it isn’t clear if Herbert will be available. If you’re looking to add to your receiver depth in season-long leagues, Johnston is a great option to swoop and stash moving forward.
If Herbert does play this week, Johnston will be a very intriguing value play under $5,000 in DFS contests, including the NFL $3.25M Fantasy Football Millionaire [$1M to 1st].
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