January 9, 2025
Los Angeles Chargers tight end
Will Dissly has a high floor and some projectable ceiling when the Chargers take on the Houston Texans on Saturday of Wild Card Weekend. Dissly figures to operate as a safety outlet for quarterback
Justin Herbert in a game where
J.K. Dobbins (ankle) and
Quentin Johnston (thigh/illness) may be limited or unable to play. Rookie wide receiver
Ladd McConkey will surely be the focus of the passing game, but Dissly could be the second read on many plays if other Chargers are forced to miss the contest. Dissly only scored two touchdowns in the regular season, but after Week 6, he averaged five targets per game and could be needed more in the red zone because of the injuries to the offense.
--David A Marcillo - RotoBallerSource: Rotoballer
January 9, 2025
Los Angeles Chargers wide receiver
Derius Davis could find himself with an expanded role in a Wild Card Round matchup against the Houston Texans on Saturday. Davis went on a solid hot streak near the end of the season, scoring touchdowns in Weeks 16 and 17. With
Joshua Palmer (foot) ruled out and
Quentin Johnston (thigh/illness) questionable, Davis could be needed to work alongside
Ladd McConkey and
D.J. Chark. Davis hasn't seen more than 37% of the team's offensive snaps in any game this season, and he averaged somewhere around 16%, so even with the injuries ahead of him, he shouldn't be expected to take on an enormous role. Still, he could be a value pick in playoff fantasy contests who happens to find himself in the end zone.
--David A Marcillo - RotoBallerSource: Rotoballer
January 9, 2025
Los Angeles Chargers wide receiver
D.J. Chark could be looking at an increased role in the passing game when the Chargers open up their playoff campaign against the Houston Texans on Wild Card Weekend. Chark barely saw the field this season due to a combination of injury and depth chart issues, but with fellow wide receivers Quentin Johnson (thigh/illness) questionable and
Joshua Palmer (foot) out, it could fall on Chark to work alongside rookie
Ladd McConkey as the top two LA wide receivers. Chark was able to catch his first touchdown of the season in last week's Week 18 win, so he's on the closest thing to a hot streak that he'd had in a Chargers uniform. If Johnston plays, Chark is unlikely to make much noise, but he'd be a value pick with some upside if he's the second wide receiver on the depth chart for the game.
--David A Marcillo - RotoBallerSource: Rotoballer
January 9, 2025
Los Angeles Chargers wide receiver
Simi Fehoko (elbow) is currently listed as questionable ahead of Saturday's Wild-Card game against the Houston Texans. Fehoko is on the injured reserve, but he had his 21-day practice window opened on Tuesday. He has practiced in full each of the last two days, which is good news ahead of Saturday's game. If active, Fehoko might see a bigger role than normal with
Joshua Palmer (foot) ruled out and
Quentin Johnston (thigh, illness) questionable for this game. He's too risky of an option to be trusted in DFS lineups.
--Andy Webb - RotoBallerSource: chargers.com
January 9, 2025
Los Angeles Chargers rookie wide receiver
Ladd McConkey could have an even bigger role than usual in the first round of the playoffs against the Houston Texans. McConkey quickly became the focal point of the LA passing game and thrived there in his rookie season. In the regular season finale, he took a backseat to
Quentin Johnston (thigh/illness), but with Johnston questionable and
Joshua Palmer (foot) ruled out, McConkey could end up being the only remotely reliable option for quarterback
Justin Herbert to throw to. The rookie wide receiver is an unquestioned WR1 option in the Wild Card Round regardless, but he enters the absolute top tier if Johnston is unable to play.
--David A Marcillo - RotoBallerSource: Rotoballer
January 9, 2025
Los Angeles Chargers rookie running back
Kimani Vidal could see his role increase in the Wild Card Round against the Houston Texans. With starting running back
J.K. Dobbins (ankle) questionable to play and
Gus Edwards (ankle) returning from a two-game absence, Vidal could be needed as the next guy up. He showed some positive signs in his rookie year, but struggled to see the field near the end of the season, appearing on 11% of the team's offensive snaps in Week 17 and on only one snap total in Week 18. Still, if Dobbins is unable to suit up, Vidal figures to have a role in the backfield, especially since the presumed starter Edwards is usually a non-factor in the passing game. Vidal would not be worth fantasy consideration if Dobbins plays, however.
--David A Marcillo - RotoBallerSource: Rotoballer
January 9, 2025
Los Angeles Chargers quarterback
Justin Herbert could find himself missing some key weapons in the Wild Card Round against the Houston Texans. The Chargers have listed starting wide receiver
Quentin Johnston (thigh/illness) and starting running back
J.K. Dobbins (ankle) as questionable for Saturday's game. Both have been critical parts of the Chargers offense this season, but Herbert could find himself with
Gus Edwards in the backfield and essentially only
Ladd McConkey catching passes. Still, Herbert finished the season off well, putting up top-10 fantasy performances at his position for the past three weeks in a row. He's a strong option for playoff leagues made stronger if "QJ" and Dobbins are able to suit up.
--David A Marcillo - RotoBallerSource: Rotoballer
January 9, 2025
Los Angeles Chargers running back
Gus Edwards (ankle) upgraded to a full practice on Friday and has been cleared from the injury report for wild-card weekend and will be active on Saturday against the Texans in Houston. With fellow RB
J.K. Dobbins (ankle) questionable to play, there's a chance Edwards could lead LA's backfield in touches this weekend despite missing the final two games of the regular season due to his ankle injury. Edwards made the start in his last game in the Week 16 win over the division-rival Denver Broncos when Dobbins was out and had 14 carries for 68 yards and two rushing touchdowns. He'll only be worth considering as a fantasy flex in playoff lineups if Dobbins is ruled out. Edwards had only four rushing scores in 2024 in his first year in LA as the backup to Dobbins, and the Texans allowed the third-fewest half-PPR points per game to RBs this season.
--Keith Hernandez - RotoBallerSource: Chargers.com
January 9, 2025
According to Tom Pelissero of the NFL Network, Los Angeles Chargers wide receiver
Quentin Johnston (thigh/illness) is listed as questionable for Saturday's playoff game against the Houston Texans. Johnston opened the week as a limited participant but was then downgraded to a non-participant on Wednesday. He returned to limited capacity on Thursday but still carries a questionable tag. In Week 18, Johnston enjoyed a career game, bringing in 13 passes for 186 yards. This was the second time he tallied at least 100 yards this season and the first time he caught double-digit passes. No.3 wide receiver
Joshua Palmer (foot) has already been ruled out for this game. As a result, this could leave rookie
Ladd McConkey as the lone wideout for
Justin Herbert. If Johnston were to sit out, McConkey would carry high-end WR1 upside in DFS formats.
--Andy Smith - RotoBallerSource: Tom Pelissero
January 9, 2025
According to Tom Pelissero of the NFL Network, Los Angeles Chargers running back
J.K. Dobbins (ankle) is listed as questionable for Saturday's wild card game against the Houston Texans. Dobbins sustained this injury during last weekend's victory over the Las Vegas Raiders. Dobbins logged three straight limited practice sessions this week but could not avoid a questionable tag on Thursday's final injury report. No.2 running back
Gus Edwards (ankle) was limited to open the week but is off the final injury report. Dobbins missed time earlier this season with a knee injury but looked sharp in his return in Week 17 as he tallied 76 yards and a score against the New England Patriots. If Dobbins were to sit out on Saturday afternoon, Edwards would lead the backfield and be viewed as a low-end RB1 in DFS, given his projected volume.
--Andy Smith - RotoBallerSource: Tom Pelissero
January 9, 2025
According to Tom Pelissero of the NFL Network, Los Angeles Chargers wide receiver
Joshua Palmer (foot) has been ruled out for Saturday's playoff game against the Houston Texans. Palmer sat out last weekend with the same injury and will now miss his second-straight game. Palmer could not practice all week, which suggests he may have trouble suiting up next weekend if the Chargers were to defeat the Texans on Saturday afternoon. Over his previous four games, Palmer has seen six targets per game and averaged 42.5 yards per game. Wide receiver
Quentin Johnston (thigh/illness) is also listed as questionable, which could leave rookie
Ladd McConkey as the lone pass catcher in the wide receiver room available against a struggling Houston secondary that has allowed the 11th-most PPR points to opposing wideouts this season.
--Andy Smith - RotoBallerSource: Tom Pelissero
January 8, 2025
Los Angeles Chargers wide receiver
Quentin Johnston (thigh, illness) was downgraded to a non-participant in practice on Wednesday after he was listed as limited in the first practice of the week on Tuesday. Hopefully for the Chargers, Johnston's absence on Wednesday was because he wasn't feeling well and not because of his thigh injury. The 23-year-old's practice status on Thursday will go a long way towards determining whether he'll be able to play on Saturday against the hosting Houston Texans in the wild-card round of the playoffs. With
Joshua Palmer (foot) missing the Week 18 regular-season finale and not practicing yet this week, the Chargers' receiving corps behind rookie
Ladd McConkey could be down to
DJ Chark and
Derius Davis. If Johnston ends up playing, he will have considerable upside as a WR2 in fantasy against a porous Texans secondary.
--Keith Hernandez - RotoBallerSource: Los Angeles Chargers
January 8, 2025
Los Angeles Chargers running backs
J.K. Dobbins (ankle) and
Gus Edwards (ankle) were both limited in practice for the second straight day this week on Wednesday. Barring a setback on Thursday, Dobbins should be active for Saturday's wild-card playoff tilt in Houston against the Texans as the Chargers' lead back. Edwards, meanwhile, might need to upgrade to a full practice on Thursday to avoid a questionable tag going into Saturday after he missed the final two games of the regular season. Both backs have dealt with injuries in 2024, but the 26-year-old Dobbins has been much more productive as LA's primary backfield option when they've both been healthy at the same time. Against a Texans defense that has allowed the third-fewest half-PPR points per game to RBs this year, Dobbins checks in as a low-end RB1 for fantasy managers in the first week of the postseason.
--Keith Hernandez - RotoBallerSource: Los Angeles Chargers
January 8, 2025
The Los Angeles Chargers designated cornerback Eli Apple (hamstring) to return from Injured Reserve on Wednesday by opening his 21-day practice window. Apple was put on IR back on Nov. 27 but is now eligible to return to practice with the team this week. Despite Apple's return to practice for the Bolts, the 29-year-old isn't guaranteed to play this Saturday against the Houston Texans to get wild-card weekend kicked off. Before injuring his hamstring and landing on IR, the former first-round pick by the New York Giants in 2016 out of Ohio State played in only four games for LA and had two solo tackles and one pass breakup. If Apple is active this weekend, he'll most likely operate in a reserve role for the Chargers' secondary. The Chargers defense allowed the fewest points per game in the NFL in 2024 and will be a popular fantasy play on Saturday against a struggling Texans offense.
UPDATE: Apple was a full-go in Wednesday's practice.--Keith Hernandez - RotoBallerSource: The 33rd Team - Ari Meirov
January 8, 2025
Los Angeles Chargers wide receiver
Joshua Palmer (heel) remained out of the team's practice session on Wednesday. The Chargers kept Palmer out of the Week 18 win over the division-rival Las Vegas Raiders in the season finale, and after two missed practices already this week, it's not looking good for his availability on Saturday in Houston against the Texans for the wild-card playoff round. If the 25-year-old pass-catcher misses a second straight game, look for
DJ Chark and
Derius Davis to get more snaps on offense behind wideouts
Ladd McConkey and
Quentin Johnston. If active against the Texans, Palmer will be a touchdown-dependent, low-upside fantasy flex, at best. In his fourth year in the NFL in 2024, Palmer had only 39 receptions on 65 targets for 584 yards and a career-low one touchdown. Check back for his final injury status on Thursday.
--Keith Hernandez - RotoBallerSource: The Athletic - Daniel Popper
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