Colston Loveland
vs Ladd McConkey

“TEs Colston Loveland has one catch for three yards through the first two weeks of the season. Caleb Williams ’ hamstring injury hurts all Bears pass-catchers, but Loveland turns into a player that I would advise starting with either Tyson Bagent or Case Keenum at QB. Tucker Kraft ’s return from a torn ACL has been slower than fantasy managers would have hoped for when drafting him, but the increase to 98% of snaps is a sign of encouragement.”

“Loveland may not mean as much to Ben Johnson ’s offense as Trey McBride or Brock Bowers mean to their offenses, limiting his ceiling when comparing him to the other elite TEs.”

“How crazy is it that Colston Loveland has combined for only one catch for three yards in two games? An absolutely insane outcome compared to the hype he was getting coming into the season. We have no choice but to downgrade Loveland moving forward, especially with Caleb Williams out for the foreseeable future.”

“I was always skeptical that Loveland would reach his elite ceiling, and he certainly hasn’t done anything to change that impression. If you can move him for a top-half TE1 price tag, do it.”

“Colston Loveland ‘s 0.05 YPRR is utterly painful considering he’s run the 6th most routes of any TE.”

“Chicago will be without quarterback Caleb Williams for the near future due to his hamstring injury, so the time to “buy low” on a potential bounce-back for Loveland is now.”

“Loveland was always going to need consistent involvement AND reliable quarterback play to become the weekly TE1 fantasy managers drafted him to be. Unfortunately, the next man up for the Bears at QB is Tyson Bagent who hasn’t thrown a TD since 2023. As it stands, the panic alarm is screaming for Loveland.”

“McConkey played only 45.2% of the snaps last week and saw an 11.1% target share while dealing with a rib injury, which helps explain why we are getting him at just 6.34% pOwn. Add on the Chargers are the NFL’s biggest letdown in 2026, and there is reason for concern. The matchup is the reason to buy the dip, as BUF has allowed the sixth-most yards per target and eighth-most fantasy points per target to slot WRs.”

“Through two games, Ladd McConkey has been underwhelming. Yes, his rib injury is part of the entire equation, but the entire Chargers offense has been a rollercoaster so far. Last week, despite having a 45.2% snap share, he had a 67.7% route share.”

“The reason McConkey was limited to only 18 routes was that he left the game early after getting lit up. His absence tanked the offense. Looking into what really went wrong for the Chargers, and when McConkey went out things fell off a cliff On/Off McConkey splits per @NextGenStats On: 8.9 Yards per pass Off: 3.9 Yards per pass On: 0.12 EPA/Play Off: -0.61 EPA/Play Whole different offense — Trevor Sikkema (@TampaBayTre) September 14, 2026 Quentin Johnston corralled two of his six targets for 17 scoreless yards on 27 routes, tying with Tre’ Harris for the team lead in routes.”

“Hampton was Andy’s start of the week, and Justin Herbert and Ladd McConkey are must-starts against the Cardinals’ defense.”

“He’s the No. 1 receiver for Justin Herbert , and now Mike McDaniel is the offensive coordinator for the team. Last season, when Keenan Allen wasn’t on the field, Ladd McConkey led the Chargers in target share at 20%.”

“That leaves a sizable hole in the offense, and McConkey should be the biggest beneficiary of those vacated targets.”

“Ladd McConkey is my bet for Herbert’s pass-catcher who will benefit the most from better health along the offensive line.”

“There's no denying Ladd McConkey was a massive fantasy disappointment last season. He saw a drop from 15.1 PPR points per game as a rookie down to 11.3.”