LaddMcConkey

News: 5 days agoMcConkey caught four of his six targets for 39 yards and a score in the 31-14 win over the Raiders on Sunday.

Spin: McConkey led the team in targets in a game in which the Raiders' pitiful offense rarely threatened the Chargers. More notable was the injury to Justin Herbert in the first half, which will require surgery Monday on his non-throwing handle to stabilize a fracture. Herbert played through the injury Sunday with noticeable padding protecting the left hand, and both coach Jim Harbaugh and the quarterback himself believe he could play Week 14. McConkey's fantasy value will obviously be impacted by Herbert's availability, but regardless the second-year wide receiver has failed to record more than six targets in any of the past four games largely due to negative game scripts.

ESPN Fantasy Projection: McConkey is entering his second NFL season following an impressive rookie campaign in which he ranked in the top 20 among receivers in receptions, yards, TDs, catch rate, yards per target and yards per route run. Following a bit of an inconsistent start, McConkey heated up down the stretch and ended up 12th in fantasy points (18th in PPG). Including the playoffs, the 2024 second-round pick caught five or more passes in eight straight games to end the season. The 23-year-old has already emerged as Justin Herbert's top target and his short-to-intermediate role puts a 100-plus catch season in play in 2025. The arrival of Tre Harris and Keenan Allen could damper McConkey's upside a bit, but he's still a safe WR2 target.