Should I Start Ladd McConkey?

Ladd McConkey Could Bounce Back in Mike McDaniel's Offense

Sunday, March 22, 8:40 AM

The Athletic's Daniel Popper thinks that Los Angeles Chargers wide receiver Ladd McConkey could have a bounce-back season in 2026 in offensive coordinator Mike McDaniel's offense. Popper also believes that for McConkey to bounce back, the Chargers need to avoid re-signing veteran Keenan Allen, who led the team in targets and catches in 2025. McConkey and Allen both thrive in similar areas of the field, so in the absence of Allen in McDaniel's offense, McConkey could become a fantasy football stud again. Popper sees McDaniel maximizing McConkey's "shiftiness and yards-after-the-catch ability" with pre-snap motion and linebacker manipulation. The 24-year-old former second-rounder in 2024 out of Georgia caught 82 of 112 targets for 1,149 yards and seven touchdowns in 16 games in his rookie season, but he fell to a 66-789-6 line in 16 games in 2025. With more targets and a focus on the offense under McDaniel, McConkey definitely can become a strong WR2 for fantasy managers going into his third year in the NFL.

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