First and foremost, Ladd McConkey is not just the scrappy white receiver stereotype from the slot coming out of Georgia. The Los Angeles Chargers and Jim Harbaugh moved up 3 spots to pick No. 34 to assure themselves of not missing out on what McConkey brings to the receiver room. Harbaugh recently made comments about the move stating, “Love the speed, 4.38 (40-yard dash), but he plays to it. He plays to that 4.38 every single play, you can see it in the way that he rages off the ball, and once he has the ball in his hands.” Ladd McConkey shows the draft capital you like to see for a young player and the extra draft capital the Chargers gave up. If you consider that Roman Wilson still being available, a player Harbaugh coached in college with a similar archetype that Harbaugh chose McConkey over, it is evident that based off McConkey’s talent alone, he will have an immediate impact with the Chargers.

For McConkey there may have been no better landing spot than with the Chargers in terms of opportunity to succeed immediately for the 2024 fantasy season. Justin Herbert can be argued as a top 10 NFL quarterback, but he can also make viable fantasy wide receivers. I know what you are thinking: Harbaugh is going to run the ball much more often than the 2023 Chargers did. Even if that is the case and they throw the ball 10 less times a game (less than the 2023 Titans and Ravens), a 21% decrease, and a total of 136 targets, that is still less than half of the targets the Chargers will be losing from Keenan Allen, Gerald Everett, and Austin Ekeler alone-not including the 26 targets in three games Mike Williams had to start the year before his annual injury. The main target leaders for the Chargers listed above attained 294 targets and a 46% target share, while accumulating 210 receptions for 51% of all receptions.

McConkey is the perfect amount of talent and opportunity in LA, even if LA produces a low passing volume like the Titans and Ravens from last season in 2024. DeAndre Hopkins, an aging veteran with the Titans, had 137 targets (8.1 per game) and Zay Flowers, the Ravens’ 1^st Round receiver, had 108 Targets (6.8 per game) in the NFL’s 2 lowest teams in passing on a per game pass attempt basis. In the receiver room Ladd McConkey will primarily be competing against Josh Palmer and Quentin Johnston for targets, hardly a competition as Josh Palmer was the third option behind Keenan Allen and Mike Williams, while they drafted Quentin Johnston in 2023 to take over his WR 3 role in the offense. Fortunately for Palmer, Johnston after year 1 shows the signs of a 1^st round bust. In terms of trying to replace the 144 targets that Ekeler and Everett leave behind from their departures, the Chargers have Donald Parham, Will Dissly and Hayden Hurst replacing 70/133 tight end targets, while JK Dobbins, Gus Edwards and Kimani Vidal (a 6^th round pick) aren’t anything close to receiving backs for the void of 74 of the 94 running back targets left behind for McConkey, a creator in space similar to Ekeler for this new offense.

Hopefully at the end of the 2024 fantasy season, you’ll be glad to have Ladd on your 2024 fantasy rosters at an ADP beyond the 5^th round.