Jim Harbaugh returns to the NFL after winning the national championship at his alma mater, the University of Michigan. The hallmark of a Harbaugh scheme is great blocking and a great running game. This is counterintuitive to how the Chargers have played the last few seasons with Justin Herbert as their quarterback. Look for the Chargers to change their entire franchise over in the coming years and build it from the ground up.
When we think of Justin Herbert we think of a quarterback who’s got some surprising mobility and an excellent arm downfield. However, the new Justin Herbert is going to be a guy who throws when needed and in the confines of Jim Harbaugh and Greg Roman’s run-first offense. I think it would be shocking to see Herbert throw for more than 3500 yards and about 22 touchdowns, which puts him probably in the lower third of fantasy quarterbacks. Be careful not to draft Herbert based on his previous years statistics because this year’s statistics are going to be a far cry from those.
Dobbins has been snake-bitten by the injury bug his entire career. This past offseason, he signed a very team-friendly contract to see if he can come back and be the starting running back. I think he makes for a terrific flyer in the later rounds.
Gus the Bus is not going to be confused with Danny Woodhead as a receiver, but he is a very large man who’s terrific in short-yardage and goal line situations. I would be shocked if Edwards didn’t get eight to ten touchdowns, and I think he’s a terrific option in standard leagues.
He’ll need either Dobbins to not be healthy or Edwards to slow down before he’s given a shot. I do like his chances to play towards the end of the season, and I really like him in best ball formats.
Without a doubt, McConkey is my favorite wide receiver on this team. He runs terrific routes, has excellent hands, and really knows how to beat zone defenses. He’s going to be that perfect wide receiver for Herbert, as he will always find a way to get open on critical third downs. I can see McConkey getting about 80 receptions as a rookie and leading the team in receiving yards. Don’t be afraid to draft him as your WR3 in PPR formats.
I am a Josh Palmer fan. However, I think he’s better served as a WR2 on his own team than a WR1. Palmer’s going to have some good weeks, but I think in an offense that’s not going to throw that much, he’s going to be more of a disappointment. If you want to draft him as your WR4, I’m OK with that, but nothing more.
I think Johnston is going to go down as one of the bigger busts in NFL history. He’s arguably very good after the catch but the problem is he doesn’t catch the ball that often. I don’t think he’s going to fit what Jim Harbaugh and Greg Roman want to do and he will likely be underwhelming most weeks.
Jim Harbaugh is not worried about your fantasy team. He’s worried about winning games. He’s going to run the ball, pass efficiently, and play great defense. Sadly the Los Angeles Chargers that we know and love in fantasy football are probably gone for the next few seasons.
