Fantasy football start or sit Week 1: Ladd McConkey, Quentin Johnston, Keenan Allen, Tre Harris

Mike Moraitis

Fantasy football start or sit Week 1: Ladd McConkey, Quentin Johnston, Keenan Allen, Tre Harris image

The Los Angeles Chargers have a crowded situation in their wide receivers room going into the 2025 season, with the group including Ladd McConkey, Quentin Johnston, Keenan Allen and Tre Harris.

McConkey and Johnston return for their second and third seasons in the NFL, respectively, while Allen makes his return to Los Angeles after playing for the Chicago Bears last season.

Harris was selected in the second round of the 2025 NFL draft and figured to serve as the team's No. 3 receiver before the signing of Allen.

With Week 1 finally upon us, here's some start or sit advice for McConkey, Johnston, Allen and Harris for their matchup against the Kansas City Chiefs.

Ladd McConkey

McConkey was the Chargers' No. 1 receiver last season in a head-turning rookie year that saw him tally 1,149 yards and seven touchdowns. From Week 7 on, he ranked as WR8 overall, making him a borderline WR1 in that span.

Based on what we saw in 2024, McConkey enters the 2025 campaign as the top dog in Los Angeles' wide receivers room and is a weekly starting option until further notice.

Verdict: Start

Quentin Johnston

Johnston had yet another roller coaster season in 2024, as he struggled with drops and consistency overall. He did, however, finish as the team's No. 2 receiver in yardage, although that's not saying much given the Chargers' lackluster options.

In 2025, Johnston has more competition for snaps and targets with the presence of Keenan Allen and Tre Harris, although he is listed as a starter on the team's first depth chart

The presence of Allen is our biggest concern for Johnston right now. We'd wait a week to see how things play out as a result.

Verdict: Sit

Keenan Allen

Allen is back in Los Angeles and already has quite the track record with quarterback Justin Herbert, which is good news for his fantasy value.

However, there are a few concerns, and namely the fact that Allen had a down year in 2024 and is now 33 years old. He's also going to see limited snaps in the slot — where he does his best work — thanks to McConkey.

If Allen settles in as the Chargers' No. 2 behind McConkey, he might be a weekly flex option. However, we can't say for sure if he'll be ahead of Johnston in the pecking order, so keep him on the bench for now.

Verdict: Sit

Tre Harris

Harris showed some flashes in preseason play but is easily the biggest wild card of the bunch here. After all, he's a rookie and there's no telling how things will go in his first season in the NFL.

And, if we had to guess, he's probably the WR4 in the offense right now behind McConkey, Allen and Johnston.

There is just too much uncertainty here to start the second-round pick in Week 1.

Verdict: Sit

MORE: Start or sit advice for Omarion Hampton, Najee Harris, Justin Herbert

Mike Moraitis

Mike Moraitis is a freelance writer who covers the NFL for the Sporting News. Over his nearly two decades covering sports, Mike has also worked for Bleacher Report, USA TODAY and FanSided. He hates writing in the third person.