Chargers' Quentin Johnston: Terrible efficiency against KC
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Johnston recorded one catch on five targets for nine yards in Sunday's 17-10 loss to the Chiefs. He added one rush for four yards.
The positive news for Johnston is that he remained heavily involved in the offense, finishing second on the team with five targets even after the return of Joshua Palmer. The negative is that he had very little production with the opportunity, with his lone catch coming at the end of the third quarter. Johnston has been productive primarily based on touchdowns early this season, as he has yet to top 51 receiving yards in a contest.
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Chargers' Quentin Johnston: WRs to Sit
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We don't know if Justin Herbert (ankle) will play in Week 4 against the Chiefs, but even if he does he won't be at 100 percent. And the Chargers will be without both offensive tackles as Rashawn Slater (pectoral) and Joe Alt (knee) are expected to miss this game. Johnston has done well the past two games with at least 12.4 PPR points in each outing, but you can't trust him yet against the Chiefs with Herbert hurt. Johnston should only be considered a desperation play in most leagues in Week 4.
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Chargers' Quentin Johnston: Scores another TD
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Johnston caught both of his targets for 44 yards and a touchdown in Sunday's 20-10 loss to the Steelers.
Justin Herbert hit Johnston wide open on the left sideline for an easy walk-in touchdown, his third of the season, on a well-schemed play. The lack of pass attempts will limit Johnston's upside on a week-to-week basis, but it's been encouraging to see Herbert trust the second-year wideout repeatedly after Johnston's much-maligned rookie campaign. However, it is worth noting that the Pro Bowl quarterback entered the game with a reported high-ankle sprain and then left in the second half after getting it banged up on a sack. It remains to be seen if he'll miss any time, but an already run-oriented offense could become even more so if backup Taylor Heinicke is forced to see extended playing time.
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Chargers' Quentin Johnston: WRs to Sit
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Johnston is worth adding in the majority of leagues after his performance in Week 2 at Carolina with five catches for 51 yards and two touchdowns on six targets, but you don't have to start him in Week 3 at Pittsburgh. The Steelers have yet to allow a receiver to score a touchdown this season and have held Drake London and Courtland Sutton to a combined three catches for 41 yards on seven targets. Stash Johnston on your bench, and hopefully he'll continue to remain a go-to target for Justin Herbert so you can use Johnston as a reliable Fantasy option later in the year.
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Chargers' Quentin Johnston: Stashes (WR Preview)
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A 23-year-old former first round pick tied to Justin Herbert just scored 22.1 PPR Fantasy points in one game. He needs to be rostered just about everywhere and if you don't need a starter this week he is the top waiver wire add at wide receiver. I just don't want to trust him in my starting lineup against a Steelers defense that has completely dominated opposing passing games so far this season. Through two weeks Johnston leads the team in target share, air yards, and end zone targets.
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Chargers' Quentin Johnston: Two TD grabs in win
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Johnston brought in five of six targets for 51 yards and two touchdowns in the Chargers' 26-3 win over the Panthers on Sunday.
The ground game once again took center stage for the Chargers on Sunday, but Johnston created some fireworks for fantasy managers with his 29- and five-yard touchdown grabs in the first half. The second-year wideout had been talked up during the summer as a potential breakout candidate, and despite modest passing numbers for Justin Herbert thus far, Johnston is certainly showing flashes of potentially taking on the mantle of a No. 1 receiver in the future. He'll look to conquer the tough matchup presented by the Steelers defense on the road in Week 3.
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Chargers' Quentin Johnston: Nabs three catches in win
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Johnston tallied three receptions on five targets for 38 yards in Sunday's 22-10 win over the Raiders.
Johnston was actually the team's leading receiver heading into the fourth quarter, but two of his catches were first-read looks for minimal yards and his longest, a 16-yard reception, came on a shallow crossing route with the defense stationed way back to prevent a third-and-long conversion. It's at least encouraging that quarterback Justin Herbert trusted Johnston on the designed looks given the second-year receiver's struggles in his rookie year, but it'll be interesting to see if Joshua Palmer and Ladd McConkey continue to generate more opportunities as the season progresses.
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Chargers' Quentin Johnston: Establishing role this preseason
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Johnston had one reception on two targets for 18 yards in Saturday's preseason loss to the Rams.
Johnston had a quiet rookie campaign last year in the shadows of former teammate and superstar wideout Keenan Allen. With the latter joining Chicago in the offseason, a large chunk of production suddenly frees up for the current receiver room. Joshua Palmer and early second-round pick Ladd McConkey figure to occupy significant portions of the statistical pie, with Johnston and veteran DJ Chark jockeying for position not far behind the projected duo of young starters. Should Johnston carve out a role as the team's third option or slot receiver, he could wind up outproducing his draft slot this season.
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Chargers' Quentin Johnston: Team expecting Year 2 breakout
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Chargers GM Joe Hortiz said he believes Johnston is "really going to launch" as a starter during the 2024 season, Kevin Patra of NFL.com reports.
Horitz mentioned that in his time as director of player personnel with Baltimore last season that Johnston "was a player we liked," and he praised the 2023 first-round pick's work ethic this offseason while acknowledging "some rawness to his game" as a rookie. Johnston finished with a subpar 431 yards last season despite suiting up for all 17 games, but with Keenan Allen and Mike Williams (knee) no longer in the picture for Los Angeles, he has a clear path to a starting role alongside incumbent Joshua Palmer, while being joined by DJ Chark and rookie second-rounder Ladd McConkey. New coach Jim Harbaugh and OC Greg Roman could spark life to the Chargers' offense, though the new scheme projects as a run-heavy approach. Still, Johnston will have every opportunity to establish himself atop this depth chart, despite his uninspiring rookie production. He'll need to make some strides this offseason toward more consistently gaining separation, not to mention cleaning up issues with drops.
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Chargers' Quentin Johnston: Minimal production on five targets
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Johnston recorded two receptions on five targets for 17 yards in Sunday's 13-12 loss to the Chiefs.
Even in the absence of Keenan Allen (heel), Johnston has struggled to consistently command targets. That continued Sunday, as he tied for fourth on the team with five targets, and he's failed to top that mark in three of the four games that Allen has been sidelined. Johnston closes his rookie campaign with a disappointing 38 receptions for 431 yards and two touchdowns across 17 games.
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Chargers' Quentin Johnston: Sees six targets in loss
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Johnston had three receptions (six targets) for 29 yards in Sunday's 16-9 loss to Denver.
The Chargers were without their three receivers who figured to be their primary options at the start of the season, so Johnston finished as one of three replacement wideouts to see six or more targets Sunday. The first-round rookie failed to capitalize on the added opportunity, posting his third consecutive game of 30 or fewer receiving yards. Johnston's role and fantasy value should remain unchanged heading into a Week 18 matchup against the Chiefs.
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Chargers' Quentin Johnston: Rough showing in primetime
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Johnston secured one of three targets for seven yards during Sunday night's 20-10 loss to the Ravens.
Johnston exited Sunday's loss in the third quarter due to a rib injury and didn't retake the field, though coach Brandon Staley said after the game that the rookie first-round pick was medically cleared. "It wasn't that [Johnston] couldn't go back in the game," Staley told Jeff Miller of the Los Angeles Times. "We just didn't feel like... it was the right thing to go back in the game." Johnston also had a crucial drop on the final drive of Los Angeles' loss to the Packers in Week 11, and he may not have much more leeway for error before running the risk of falling out of favor with his coaching staff. He faces a tough matchup against New England's secondary Week 12.
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Chargers' Quentin Johnston: Big drop Sunday
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Johnston caught two of six targets for 21 yards in Sunday's 23-20 loss to the Packers.
Johnston's underwhelming performance was marred by a critical drop on Los Angeles' final drive, preventing the team from entering scoring position. The rookie first-rounder has just one 50-yard game and one touchdown through his first 10 appearances, struggling to make a significant impact despite playing in one of the league's better passing offenses.
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Chargers' Quentin Johnston: Sleeper WRs
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Johnston and Jalen Guyton are both in play this week as No. 3 Fantasy receivers in deeper leagues. Both are coming off productive outings in Week 10 against the Lions, and both should be popular targets for Justin Herbert. Against Detroit, Johnston had four catches for 34 yards and a touchdown on four targets, and he also drew two long pass interference calls. Guyton had four catches for 41 yards and a touchdown on six targets, and both receivers are pressed into action with Mike Williams (knee) and Josh Palmer (knee) out, along with Gerald Everett (back) now injured. The Packers have a tough secondary, but I still expect one of Johnston or Guyton to step up with Herbert in need of help in the passing game aside from just Keenan Allen and Austin Ekeler.
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Chargers' Quentin Johnston: Sit Him (Lineup Decisions)
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Johnston is beginning to trend in the right direction, but his lack of explosiveness is a little alarming. Pair that with a tough road matchup and it's impossible to feel good about starting Johnston. Keep him benched; I'd rather chance it with Josh Downs, Jahan Dotson or Demario Douglas.
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Chargers' Quentin Johnston: Could benefit sans Palmer
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Johnston could be a featured target in the Chargers' passing attack Monday against the Jets with Joshua Palmer (knee) ruled out for the game.
With Mike Williams (knee) lost for the season after Week 3, Palmer had stepped in as the No. 2 option in the passing game behind Keenan Allen over the Chargers' past four games, producing a 15-294-0 receiving line on 26 targets. Along with Allen, running back Austin Ekeler will likely be heavily utilized in the passing game Week 9, but quarterback Justin Herbert has typically leaned on at least three pass catchers in a given game even in the most dire of situations, and the New York defense poses a significant obstacle specifically against the ground game. Johnston, a 2023 first-round pick, is coming off a Week 8 performance against a weak Bears defense in which he saw his most involvement to date, producing five catches for 50 yards on six targets. Though he gets a more difficult matchup Monday, Johnston may have a better opportunity than he's had at any point this season to see heightened snaps and increased target volume.
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Chargers' Quentin Johnston: Extra run after Palmer exits
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Johnston had five receptions on six targets for 50 yards in Sunday's 30-13 win over the Bears.
Johnston set new highs in receptions, yards and targets, in large part because No. 2 wideout Joshua Palmer aggravated the knee injury he picked up in a loss to Kansas City in Week 7. Palmer was able to return after exiting in the first quarter and finished out the victory with no reported issues. That said, this is the second injury scare for Palmer within a week's time, so it wouldn't be surprising to see the him held out of practice this week for precautionary reasons. Johnston would receive a boost in value should he wind up starting opposite Keenan Allen next Monday against the Jets, and the rookie makes for a good insurance policy for those planning to play Palmer in Week 9.
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Chargers' Quentin Johnston: Still not a major factor
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Johnston caught his lone target for 20 yards in the 31-17 loss to the Chiefs on Sunday.
It's hard to label a first-round pick a bust just six games into his career, but at least from a fantasy perspective, there's just little optimism for Johnston at the moment. The rookie is the clear third option at wide receiver behind Keenan Allen (62 snaps) and Joshua Palmer (59 snaps), but it's the team's insistence to avoid three-wideout personnel that has hindered opportunities for Johnston to get more involved. If every there was a chance to break out, however, it could come Week 8 against a Bears defense that struggled most of the season.
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Chargers' Quentin Johnston: Absent from box score
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Johnston did not record a catch on his two targets in a 20-17 loss to the Cowboys on Monday.
There was hope the Chargers would use their early Week 5 bye to assimilate the rookie into the offense with Mike Williams (knee) out for the season, but that optimism was quickly erased as the combination of Keenan Allen and Joshua Palmer accounted for 18 of Justin Herbert's 37 pass attempts in Monday's loss. To make matters worse for Johnston's fantasy managers, Austin Ekeler returned to his typical pass-catching role after a multi-game absence and recorded four catches on six targets for 35 yards, leaving few opportunities for Johnston. The TCU standout's playing time continues to ever-so-gradually trend up, but the 22-year-old is going to need to actually do something with the increased workload to be worth having active on fantasy rosters.
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Chargers' Quentin Johnston: Quiet once again Sunday
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Johnston caught one of his three targets for 18 yards in the 24-17 win over the Raiders on Sunday.
Johnston looked like a candidate to see a significant uptick in opportunities after Mike Williams (knee) suffered a season-ending injury Week 3, but the rookie first-round pick remained only a minor contributor in the passing game Sunday. The fact that the Chargers attempted just 24 passes likely played a factor in Johnston's limited output, but the pecking order clearly favors Keenan Allen (five targets) and Joshua Palmer (eight targets) by a wide margin. Additionally, running back Austin Ekeler (ankle) should be ready to return following the Chargers' Week 5 bye, pushing Johnston further down the hierarchy for targets.