Ladd McConkey: No. 1 Chargers WR or Fantasy Bust?

A detailed look at Ladd McConkey's fantasy outlook for the 2024 season.

Jason Wood's Ladd McConkey: No. 1 Chargers WR or Fantasy Bust? Jason Wood Published 07/28/2024

Fantasy football managers adore rookies. Given the choice between being too early on a player or holding on too late, most will choose the former. The allure of upside, of being the first to identify a future star, acts like a tractor beam on draft day. Sometimes, it works out brilliantly. But for every rookie breakout, there are far more busts. Even for well-pedigreed players, stepping into the NFL and dominating is no easy feat.

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With that in mind, it's understandable that Ladd McConkey is the first Chargers receiver to be drafted on average. The 6-foot-0, 185-pound receiver was drafted early in the second round (34th overall) out of the University of Georgia. A three-year contributor, McConkey was a crucial part of the Bulldogs' back-to-back national championships in 2021 and 2022. However, his statistical output didn't compare to many of the other rookie receivers drafted ahead of him. NFL draft scouts didn't hold his lesser statistical achievements against him for several reasons:

  1. Georgia's offensive system was balanced and conservative
  2. McConkey tested well in the pre-draft process
  3. McConkey's film showed a polished route runner with sure hands

Career College Receiving Stats, Top 10 NFL Rookie Receivers

NFL PickWide ReceiverNFL TeamCollege TeamRecsYdsAvgTDs
4Marvin Harrison Jr.CardinalsOhio State1552,613.016.931
6Malik NabersGiantsLouisiana State1893,003.015.921
9Rome OdunzeBearsWashington2143,272.015.324
23Brian Thomas Jr.JaguarsLouisiana State1271,897.014.924
28Xavier WorthyChiefsTexas1972,755.014.026
31Ricky Pearsall49ersFlorida1592,420.015.214
32Xavier LegettePanthersSouth Carolina1131,678.014.812
33Keon ColemanBillsFlorida State1151,506.013.119
34Ladd McConkeyChargersGeorgia1191,687.014.214
37Ja'Lynn PolkPatriotsWashington1432,231.015.618

We must ask ourselves how likely Ladd McConkey is to return value for his draft cost. 

With an ADP of WR43 currently, the cost isn't prohibitive. For context, here are the comparable year-end numbers for the last five seasons:

Fantasy WR43s (2019-2023)

YearRankWide ReceiverTeamRecsYardsYPRTDsFPTs
2019WR43Chris ConleyJAX4777516.55154.5
2020WR43Tim PatrickDEN5174214.56161.2
2021WR43Marquez CallawayNO4669815.26151.8
2022WR43Courtland SuttonDEN6482913.02158.9
2023WR43Josh DownsIND6877111.32157.1
Average   5576313.84156.7

While those numbers don't feel aspirational, it's also fair to note that no one is drafting McConkey with those stats in mind. You're hoping to net a potential Top 25 fantasy asset for a discounted price, which brings us to his landing spot, the Los Angeles Chargers. While head coach Jim Harbaugh is the attention grabber, fantasy managers should focus on Harbaugh's offensive coordinator choice: Greg Roman.

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