January 7, 2026
Los Angeles Chargers tight end
Oronde Gadsden has been inconsistent down the stretch, but he still exceeded expectations as a fifth-round rookie. Gadsden brought in 49 catches (69 targets) for 664 yards and three touchdowns in 15 games. The Syracuse product had a historic stretch early in the season once he earned a full-time role in Week 6, posting his most receiving yards ever by a rookie tight end over a four-game span. He also became the first rookie tight end with four straight games of 65 or more receiving yards. Gadsden's production faded down the stretch, as he averaged just two catches (3.3 targets) for 26.2 yards per game with one touchdown over the final six weeks. Gadsden is a risky option for Sunday night's Wild-Card game against the New England Patriots, with New England being a slightly favorable matchup for opposing tight ends, allowing the 11th-most catches per game (5.7) and the 12th-most yards (57.1).
--Kyle McCarthySource: RotoBaller
January 7, 2026
Los Angeles Chargers rookie wide receiver
Keandre Lambert-Smith (hamstring) did not take part in Wednesday's practice, according to Daniel Popper of The Athletic. Lambert-Smith's status for the Wild-Card playoff tilt on Sunday night against the New England Patriots is in question after the 23-year-old pass-catcher hurt his hamstring in Sunday's 19-3 loss to the Denver Broncos. He never returned to the contest. If Lambert-Smith isn't cleared to play this weekend,
Tre' Harris and
Derius Davis could see more time on the field as WR depth behind
Ladd McConkey,
Keenan Allen, and
Quentin Johnston. Lambert-Smith, a fifth-rounder out of Auburn back in April, saw action in only 10 regular-season games in 2025 and caught just five passes for 51 yards and one touchdown for the Bolts. He'll be off the fantasy radar if he's active for the postseason.
--Keith HernandezSource: The Athletic - Daniel Popper
January 7, 2026
Los Angeles Chargers head coach Jim Harbaugh said that rookie first-round running back
Omarion Hampton (ankle) will not practice on Wednesday, according to Kris Rhim of ESPN. The Chargers held Hampton out of the Week 18 regular-season finale against the Denver Broncos on Sunday, but at the time, it was believed that the Bolts were just giving the 22-year-old rookie some rest before the start of the playoffs. A DNP in the first practice of the week as the Chargers prepare to face the New England Patriots on Wild-Card weekend, though, suggests that Hampton could have suffered a setback to his ankle that landed him on Injured Reserve earlier in the year. Hampton made the start in the Week 17 loss to the Houston Texans and scored a touchdown for the second straight week, but he averaged only 2.1 yards per carry on 14 rushing attempts. His status for Sunday against the Pats is firmly up in the air. If Hampton is ruled out,
Kimani Vidal would most likely lead L.A.'s backfield.
--Keith HernandezSource: ESPN.com - Kris Rhim
January 6, 2026
Los Angeles Chargers wide receiver
Quentin Johnston took fantasy managers on a rollercoaster ride in 2025. After recording 28 receptions for 407 yards and five touchdowns over his first six games of the season, Johnston hauled in just 14 catches for 126 yards and two scores over his next six contests. However, Johnston re-emerged late in the year. Across his final two games played of the regular season, the 24-year-old recorded nine catches for 202 yards and a touchdown on 13 targets. Johnston was also among the players Los Angeles chose to rest in Week 18 in preparation for the playoffs, signifying his value in the eyes of Chargers head coach Jim Harbaugh. Los Angeles will face one of the league's better pass defenses in their Wild Card Weekend matchup against the New England Patriots. Still, Johnston has proven he can have success against challenging opponents, recording at least 14.9 PPR fantasy points in matchups during the regular season against the Denver Broncos, Houston Texans, and Kansas City Chiefs. Fantasy managers in playoff leagues should view Johnston as a high-upside wide receiver option entering the postseason.
--Will BradySource: RotoBaller
January 5, 2026
Los Angeles Chargers wide receiver
Ladd McConkey is in desperate need of a bounce-back performance. McConkey has struggled to put up any consistent numbers during the second half of the season. The 24-year-old has been held to under 40 receiving yards in six of his last seven games. It's not going to get easier for McConkey against the New England Patriots' defense on the road during the Wild-Card round on Sunday night. The Patriots' defense is in the top 10 in terms of limiting passing yards. They've also done an excellent job of holding the WR1 on opposing teams in check all season long. McConkey has been much harder to trust in Year 2 in fantasy, and that will continue to be the case this weekend.
--Andy WebbSource: Pro Football Reference
January 5, 2026
Los Angeles Chargers quarterback
Justin Herbert sat out of the regular-season finale versus the Denver Broncos. It was a smart idea for the Chargers to sit Herbert and give him another week to rest and recover, as he's been playing through a surgically repaired left (non-throwing) hand for the last couple of weeks. The 27-year-old will now head into a tough matchup against a New England Patriots defense that is in the top 10 in terms of passing yards allowed to QBs this season. Herbert hasn't exactly been elite during the second half of the season behind a thin and beat-up offensive line. He has only thrown for multiple scores once over his last four games. Herbert is still a quality QB, but he is looking more like a high-end QB2 for fantasy managers going into the playoffs.
--Andy WebbSource: Pro Football Reference
January 5, 2026
Los Angeles Chargers rookie running back
Omarion Hampton (ankle) missed the team's Week 18 loss to the Broncos that secured a trip to New England to open the playoffs. Hampton spent time on Injured Reserve earlier this season with a fractured ankle, and he did not practice at all leading up to the regular season finale. However, with multiple starters held out of the game, the sense is that his absence was precautionary. In traveling to New England for a Sunday Night primetime affair, the Chargers will face a Patriots defense that is returning to health at the right time. After opening the season as one of the stingiest run defenses in the league, the Patriots have struggled of late to contain the running game but seem to be trending in the right direction. With Milton Williams back in the fold in Week 18, New England held Miami to 2.5 yards per carry. They are also expected to have leading tackler Robert Spillane back for the playoffs, while the status of run-stuffer Khyiris Tonga is still up in the air.
--Patrick McGrathSource: RotoBaller
January 4, 2026
Los Angeles Chargers wide receiver
Keandre Lambert-Smith (hamstring) has been ruled out for the remainder of Sunday's Week 18 contest against the Denver Broncos. Lambert-Smith exited in the second quarter and was initially listed as questionable before being downgraded to out. He finishes the Bolts' regular-season finale with five targets, two catches, and 24 receiving yards. He also fielded two kicks for a total of 45 return yards. The rookie out of Auburn was having the best game of his young career, as he had entered this week with just three catches on seven targets.
Derius Davis and
Tre' Harris should run more routes in his absence, while
Jaret Patterson will handle kick-return duties.
--Andersen PickardSource: Los Angeles Chargers
January 4, 2026
Los Angeles Chargers rookie wide receiver
Keandre Lambert-Smith (hamstring) is considered questionable to return for Sunday's Week 18 matchup versus the Denver Broncos. Lambert-Smith appears to have suffered the injury after making an 18-yard catch late in the second quarter. It's the final game of the regular season, and the Chargers aren't playing for anything, so it wouldn't be shocking to see them hold out Lambert-Smith for the rest of the game. Before exiting, he hauled in two of his five targets for 24 yards. With him on the sideline,
Derius Davis and
Tre' Harris are likely to see more targets from backup quarterback
Trey Lance.
--Andy WebbSource: Los Angeles Chargers
January 4, 2026
Los Angeles Chargers safety Derwin James (coach's decision) and defensive end Tuli Tuipulotu (coach's decision) are inactive for Sunday's Week 18 contest against the Denver Broncos. Both players are healthy scratches after they didn't carry an injury designation into this weekend. The Bolts are resting several key starters on both sides of the play since they're guaranteed to finish with the fifth, sixth, or seventh seed in the AFC. James finishes his regular season with 94 tackles, two sacks, three interceptions, and one forced fumble through 16 games. With Elijah Molden (hamstring) also inactive, RJ Mickens and Tony Jefferson should earn more defensive snaps in James' absence. Meanwhile, Tuipulotu finishes with 45 tackles, 13 sacks, two forced fumbles, and one fumble recovery over 16 contests. Bud Dupree, Odafe Oweh, and Kyle Kennard will work to fill his void on Sunday.
--Andersen PickardSource: Kris Rhim
January 4, 2026
Los Angeles Chargers running back
Hassan Haskins (concussion) is officially active for Sunday's Week 18 contest against the Denver Broncos. He had been listed as questionable but was trending in the right direction after practicing in full on Friday. Haskins has appeared in just two games since Week 7, but he could carve out an increased role as
Kimani Vidal's backup on Sunday with
Omarion Hampton (ankle) inactive. With that being said, there's some uncertainty about how the Chargers will fare with
Trey Lance quarterbacking the offense against a strong Broncos defense. If the Bolts struggle to move the ball on Sunday, Haskins won't be able to carve out standalone fantasy value in his role behind Vidal. He can be avoided in most leagues.
--Andersen PickardSource: Kris Rhim
January 4, 2026
Los Angeles Chargers running back
Kimani Vidal (neck) is officially active for Sunday's Week 18 contest against the Denver Broncos. He had been listed as questionable but was trending in the right direction after logging back-to-back full practices. The 24-year-old returns from a one-game absence and is expected to lead Los Angeles' backfield with rookie
Omarion Hampton (ankle) sidelined. With that being said, we expect fellow running back
Hassan Haskins to carve out a role, too. There's some uncertainty about how the Chargers will fare with
Trey Lance quarterbacking the offense against a strong Broncos defense. If the Bolts struggle to move the ball on Sunday, we could see Vidal drop to the low-end RB3/flex tier.
--Andersen PickardSource: Kris Rhim
January 4, 2026
Los Angeles Chargers quarterback
Trey Lance will make his first start of the season during Sunday's Week 18 contest against the Denver Broncos. The former first-round pick is starting in place of
Justin Herbert (coach's decision) as the Chargers look to keep their No. 1 quarterback healthy for the upcoming playoff stretch. Turning to Lance puts Los Angeles as a 14-point underdog, and they could still finish anywhere between the No. 5 and No. 7 seed in the AFC. The young quarterback has flashed upside in the past, and perhaps the Chargers still hope that he can live up to his first-round draft stock. However, the odds are stacked against him this week. For starters, the Broncos have an elite defense anchored by Patrick Surtain II and Nik Bonitto. Denver has allowed the fourth-fewest passing yards and eighth-fewest fantasy points to opposing quarterbacks in 2025. Furthermore, Lance is playing behind an offensive line that PFF ranked second-worst heading into Week 18. Every Chargers offensive lineman finished with a PFF grade below 70 last week. This is not the right time to start Lance in fantasy football. Managers should avoid him in all leagues.
--Andersen PickardSource: RotoBaller
January 3, 2026
Los Angeles Chargers running back
Kimani Vidal (neck) is listed as questionable for the regular season finale against the Denver Broncos, but is trending in the right direction to play after practicing in full on Thursday and Friday. Vidal missed last week's game against the Texans, but he will likely take over as the lead back to finish the regular season with
Omarion Hampton (ankle) ruled out. The outlook for the second-year back and the Chargers offense isn't as favorable with backup QB
Trey Lance starting in place of
Justin Herbert (rest), but it could lead to a more run-heavy game plan. With fellow running back
Hassan Haskins (concussion) also questionable, Vidal could be in line for a big workload, assuming he plays. It's a tough matchup, however, as the Broncos have allowed the fewest PPR points per game to running backs this season, making Vidal more of volume based RB2 option in Week 18.
--Kyle McCarthySource: Pro Football Reference
January 2, 2026
The Los Angeles Chargers could use some of their regular starters in a backup role in Week 18. This team isn't playing for much with a playoff spot locked up ahead of the regular-season finale against the Denver Broncos. Head coach Jim Harbaugh doesn't want to risk any injuries to his starters, so he's considering using them in a backup role. This strategy would decrease the workload on his starters, but would still give them some reps ahead of the postseason. Fantasy managers who have any Chargers' starters on their roster would be wise to leave them on their benches. Quarterback
Justin Herbert is expected to be active, but is not expected to play at all.
--Andy WebbSource: Daniel Popper
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