If you're looking for a comp for Johnston, you could do worse than looking across the locker room at Mike Williams. Both are big-bodied receivers drafted in the first round of the NFL Draft who have had some separation and route-running question marks. Williams averaged 71.7 yards per game at Clemson, and Johnston averaged 73 at TCU. The Chargers are hoping Johnston does a better job staying healthy, but they'd be thrilled if Johnston could give them what Williams has per game the last two years. In rookie drafts, Johnston is a surefire first-round pick in all formats who could go as early as No. 4 in one-QB leagues. In redraft, leave him for the double-digit rounds unless Williams misses time in training camp with his back injury.
Chargers' Quentin Johnston: Solid outing despite bad weather
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Johnston caught five of his seven targets for 52 yards in the 6-0 win over the Patriots on Sunday.
It's a low benchmark, but after struggling for most of the season, Sunday's outing was easily the best of the rookie's career, especially given the sloppy conditions. Keenan Allen predictably led the team in targets (nine), but it was encouraging to see Johnston get involved to the extent that he did, as no other wide receiver saw more than three targets on the afternoon. It's too early to say the 22-year-old has turned the corner, but given the Chargers' desperate need for a second reliable pass catcher, Johnston will be afforded every opportunity to overcome his rookie woes.
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Chargers' Quentin Johnston: Participating in practice Wednesday
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Johnston (ribs) is participating in practice Wednesday, Daniel Popper of The Athletic reports.
The extent of Johnston's participation remains to be seen, but his presence at practice Wednesday bodes well for his availability this weekend against the Patriots after he sat out most of the second half of Sunday's 20-10 loss to the Ravens. Johnston caught one of three targets for seven yards prior to hurting his ribs. The rookie wide receiver was medically cleared to return, so it's possible his inability to return to the game was at least in part performance-based.
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Chargers' Quentin Johnston: X-rays come back negative
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Coach Brandon Staley said Monday that X-rays on Johnston's ribs returned negative, Daniel Popper of The Athletic reports.
Johnston didn't see the field after injuring his ribs in the third quarter of Sunday's loss to the Ravens. Afterward, Staley told Jeff Miller of the Los Angeles Times that "it wasn't that [Johnston] couldn't go back in the game. We just didn't feel like... it was the right thing to go back in the game." While Johnston's lack of late-game reps may have been precautionary, Staley also relayed to Miller on Monday that the wide receiver wasn't 100 percent. Johnson is expected to take part in practice this week, but the Chargers won't get back on the field until Wednesday ahead of Sunday's contest at New England.
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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: Scores first professional TD
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Johnston caught all four of his targets for 34 yards and a touchdown in Sunday's 41-38 loss to the Lions.
It took 10 weeks, but Johnston finally scored his first NFL touchdown thanks to a nifty designed red-zone play early in the fourth quarter. The rookie's counting stats Sunday are hardly worth applauding, but Johnston did draw two long pass interference calls, and on the first, the 22-year-old arguably should have still brought in the ball and galloped untouched for a lengthy score. While fantasy managers have to acknowledge it's a relatively low bar, this was easily Johnston's best game to date and represents a bit of hope for the weeks to come. Expect the Chargers to utilize Johnston heavily next week against the porous Packers defense.
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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: Week 6 Waiver Priority List
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It was understandable why Fantasy managers dropped Johnston with the Chargers on a bye in Week 5, but you should add him again if you have an open roster spot heading into Week 6 for at least 5 percent of your FAB. With Mike Williams (ACL) out for the season, there's still plenty of potential for Johnston to produce at a high level, even while sharing the field with Keenan Allen, Joshua Palmer and Austin Ekeler. Johnston has yet to catch more than two passes in a game or top 18 receiving yards, with no touchdowns, but hopefully the best is yet to come given his opportunity with Williams out.
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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.
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Chargers' Quentin Johnston: Stashes (WR Preview)
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You still can't start Johnston until he shows something, but the Mike Williams injury means we should at least see the rookie on the field more. I said it last week, but it's far more true now. You cannot leave this first-round rookie who plays with Justin Herbert on the waiver wire. He's a must-stash.
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Chargers' Quentin Johnston: Week 4 Waiver Priority List
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The Chargers lost Mike Williams for the season to a torn ACL in Week 3 at Minnesota, and now we should get to see more of first-round rookie Quentin Johnston. But I would add Josh Palmer first if you're looking for immediate help. He's been the No. 3 receiver all season ahead of Johnston, and Justin Herbert already has a built in rapport with Palmer. He has 12 targets in his past two outings against the Titans and Vikings, and Palmer had four catches for 66 yards and a touchdown on seven targets at Minnesota. Johnston has five catches for 26 yards on eight targets for the season, but he should have the higher ceiling of the two. He's played less than 28 percent of the snaps in three games (Palmer has been at 54 percent or higher over that span), but now the Chargers need Johnston to step up with Williams out. Keep in mind Keenan Allen, Gerald Everett and Austin Ekeler (ankle), when healthy, will all command targets as well. But this is a big opportunity for Palmer and Johnston to step up with Williams out. Palmer is worth at least 10 percent of your FAB, and I would spend at least 15 percent on Johnston since he should be the better Fantasy option by the end of the season.
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Chargers' Quentin Johnston: Expanded role on tap
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Johnston is slated for a larger role on offense with Mike Williams (knee) having suffered a season-ending ACL tear, Ian Rapoport of NFL Network reports.
Johnston has played less than 25 percent of offensive snaps in each of the Chargers' first three games this season, but he'll need to step up quickly for the passing game with Williams, an every-down player, done for the year. The rookie first-round pick profiles particularly well as a deep threat, which makes him both an ideal fit for Justin Herbert's arm talent and as a complement to Keenan Allen, but he has yet to flash that explosiveness at the NFL level. Sunday's upcoming matchup against a struggling Raiders secondary could set the stage well for Johnston to take advantage of his new opportunity, however. Meanwhile, Joshua Palmer also figures to step into a larger spotlight in the wake of Williams' injury.
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Chargers' Quentin Johnston: Week 3 Early Waiver Targets (Add/Drop)
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Johnston has been pretty much a non-factor through his first three career games, with just 26 scrimmage yards while running fourth pretty consistently among the Chargers wide receivers. However, he may be forced into a larger role moving forward after Mike Williams left Sunday's game with a knee injury. "Next man up" doesn't always work in Fantasy Football, especially when it comes to the passing game, but in this case, it's worth rolling the dice on a first-round WR who could be in line for a bigger role, replacing a player who does a lot of the same things in the offense that Johnston should be able to do, at least in theory. That doesn't necessarily mean Johnston is going to be a useful Fantasy option – I certainly wouldn't start him in Week 4 against the Raiders unless I was absolutely desperate – but I'd rather be a week early on adding him than a week late and miss my opportunity.
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Chargers' Quentin Johnston: Little playing time again
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Johnston caught one of his two targets for seven yards in the 27-24 overtime loss to the Titans on Sunday.
The Chargers have a deep wide receiver corps, but it's a bit surprising to see the 2023 first-round pick play just 10 total snaps Sunday after registering a paltry 22 in his NFL debut last week. With Keenan Allen, Mike Williams and Joshua Palmer all healthy, it's understandably hard for the rookie target to crack the rotation. However, given the draft capital invested in the big-bodied target, it feels unlikely Johnston will continue to be a non-factor as the season progresses.
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Chargers' Quentin Johnston: Just 22 offensive snaps
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Johnston tallied two catches on three targets for nine yards in Sunday's 36-34 loss to the Dolphins.
Despite the fact Mike Williams was sidelined for part of the first half due to a head injury, Johnston only saw 22 offensive snaps, far below supposed No. 4 wide receiver Joshua Palmer's 55. It's possible the Chargers simply want to ease Johnston into NFL action, but the big-bodied first-round pick was expected to fill a significant role right away. His fantasy upside in Week 2 against the Titans could depend on Williams' availability.
