Consistency in Coaching is just as important as the players’ consistency. The Chargers made a big change to their offensive staff this year. Can consistency be created in the offseason to make a difference in 2026?
Head Coach and Offensive Coordinator: John Harbaugh is still the head coach, but decided to give the offense a shot in the arm by hiring offensive wonderboy Mike McDaniel. The biggest problem that the Chargers had last year wasn’t the coaching, but the offensive line. After two starters went down, Justin Herbert was getting hit like a piñata every week. In the draft, they addressed that problem with four picks for the offensive line. They also squarely blamed Greg Roman and sent him packing. Will Mike McDaniel’s high-flying offense lift the Chargers this season? Again, that will depend on the O-line. With the off-season additions, the O-line is ranked 15th in the league by FTN. If Herbert gets consistent blocking, we’ll see more consistency in his passing.
Quarterback: Justin Herbert had a rough 2025 season. In total fantasy points, he was 10th, but in consistency, he was ranked 21st. Hopefully, this year, the Mike McDaniel offense, a better offensive line, and Quentin Johnston‘s breakout will give Justin Herbert more consistency. I’d happily grab him as my #2 in a one QB starting league. He’s got great upside potential, but the depth at QB this year is good enough that he doesn’t have to be your starter.
Wide Receivers: The wide receiver room, of course, has Ladd McConkey, who only ranked 25th in consistency last season due to some injury issues. Even when healthy, he will still be a consistency monster. Buy the dip. Last year, McConkey was drafted in the first two rounds. After the difficult 2025 season, your league mates may shy away, thinking his rookie campaign was a fluke. In your draft, buy the dip on him. He’ll be a 3rd round steal. Quentin Johnston has not been a consistency king, but he has quietly improved each season since he was drafted. He has 8 touchdowns each of the last two seasons. That’s a good consistency indicator. Do you want a receiver whose floor is 8 touchdowns? I do. Next up is second-year WR Tre Thompson. He didn’t get enough volume to have consistency numbers, but he’s 6’3″ and 210 lbs. He’ll be on the opposite side of the field from Quentin Johnston. Now, can you picture the Chargers offense? Two big dudes, blazing fast, and one on each side of the field, with Ladd McConkey underneath in the middle of the field. If Justin Herbert stays healthy and the o-line is improved, Mike McDaniel is going to have fun with this group. Last but not least in the Chargers WR room is rookie Brenen Thompson, who ran a 4.26 forty. He could be a wildcard, and I can see McDaniel throwing him out there when the defense least suspects.
Running Backs: A lot of fantasy players are going to push Omarion Hampton into the early second or late first round. It’s crazy how people are salivating about Omarion Hampton. I don’t think I want to take him where he’s going to be drafted. I haven’t seen enough from him yet to justify that price tag. But, if he’s going to take the Devon Achane role in Mike McDaniel’s offense, he’s going to be a top ten RB. Other bit actors in the Chargers RB room are Keaton Mitchell, who will be the scat-back getting short passes or pitches from Justin Herbert. The third viable RB is Kimani Vidal, who has carved out a role as the RB who can sub in for the other two.
Tight Ends: The Chargers have one of the best TE rooms in the league with David Njoku, Oronde Gadsden, and Charlie Kolar. Both Gadsen and Njoku could be the number one TE, but both will get plenty of looks. We know what to expect from David Njoku, but it could be second-year player Oronde Gadsden who may surprise this season. He had a good rookie season with 49 catches, 664 yards, and three TDs. Last season, he was tenth among all tight ends in yards per route run. He also had 13.6 yards per reception during the regular season. He is currently projected to finish 13th in consistency this season. Charlie Kolar will back up the other two and fill in when needed.
With Mike McDaniel installing his offense, the Chargers might start a little slowly, but once they get the hang of it, they have the players at every position to succeed. The Chargers have the 21st most difficult schedule and are projected for 10.5 wins. Winning equals more scoring, and more scoring equals more fantasy points.
