Ladd McConkey vs Travis Etienne

“20 come from two buckets: Hyper-specified role players (Stefon Diggs, Rashee Rice) Guys with other top 24 or strong ancillary target competition (Both Rams WRs, Jameson Williams, CeeDee Lamb, Tee Higgins, Quentin Johnston with Ladd McConkey/Keenan Allen) You may notice there’s one guy on this list who fits in neither, and it’s Thundering Herd legend Christian Watson (shout out to NDSU).”

“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.”

“After working through it, the analyst landed on preferring McConkey over Tate, citing more confidence in McConkey’s current quarterback situation and offensive environment, along with an already-strong rookie season once his playoff performance is factored in.”

“With Allen no longer on the team, this opens up the opportunity for McConkey to emerge as Justin Herbert's clear top receiver and demand an elite target share. There's a clear path to him earning 150+ targets and hauling in 100+ receptions.”

“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.”

“Ladd at ADP 34 is a steep price for a role that could be more complicated than the market is admitting. The Chargers added David Njoku, Charlie Kolar, and Alec Ingold, which points to more 12 & 21 personnel, and that matters for a player who ran 64.0% of his routes from the slot.”

“McConkey's CTCH% dropped from 73% to 62% year-over-year, and that drop, combined with a lower YPC, made a substantial difference in his performance. Much of this can be attributed to the offensive line injuries and subsequent pocket pressure that QB Justin Herbert faced much of the season. Herbert was pressured on 45% of McConkey's targets, and his catchable targets dropped by 10 percentage points. Bringing back a fully healthy offensive line and drafting four additional linemen (including the #1 ranked Center in the class) should make a big difference for this offensive unit.”

“Despite a gaffe-riddled rookie year, QJ showed marginal development in his second season, and Ladd McConkey looked like one of the steals of the draft in 2024. Then Allen, who departed for a one-year sabbatical in Chicago in 2024, returned to Los Angeles for his swan song and mucked the whole thing up! Or did he? The narrative in the fantasy football community has been that Keenan Allen NERFed Ladd McConkey's 2025 numbers, but further analysis shows there were several other factors at play.”

“Ladd McConkey is being drafted just ahead of Josh Allen, who has a late-third-round ADP.”

“Jake Ciely's favorite wide receiver target closes the list. Although Ladd McConkey disappointed many fantasy managers last season, Ciely believes the market has overcorrected. With Mike McDaniel now running the Chargers offense, he expects McConkey to become the clear focal point of the passing game. McDaniel's offenses have consistently funneled targets to their top receiver, and Ciely believes McConkey is perfectly suited for that role thanks to his ability to create separation and generate yards after the catch. If the offense performs as expected, McConkey has a realistic path back into WR1 territory.”

“The biggest boost for McConkey is the arrival of Mike McDaniel as the Chargers' offensive coordinator. Last season, McConkey ran 90% of his routes with three receivers on the field, while just 10% came in 1-WR or 2-WR sets. Compare that to Jaylen Waddle last season under McDaniel, a similar player stylistically, who ran 54% of his routes in 3-WR sets and 46% in 1-WR or 2-WR sets.”

“Biggest Differences in ADP vs Fantasy Finish RB 2025 ADP 2025 Finish Differential Javonte Williams 41 11 30 Travis Etienne Jr .”

“While the additions of Travis Etienne and rookie Jordyn Tyson are cause to question Olave’s target share, what about his previous injuries? How do five documented concussions shape the future outlook for Olave?”

“He lands with New Orleans after a season where he was 11th in snap share, 13th in opportunity share, tenth in weighted opportunities, and fifth in red zone touches. Etienne soaked up 296 touches, producing 1,399 total yards.”

“Etienne Jr.'s momentum skyrocketed with the rest of the Jaguars team after the Week 8 bye. He averaged 17.5 fantasy points per game and scored more than six receiving touchdowns on fewer than 40 receptions. Etienne Jr. will bring life back to this running game and could be the perfect complement if Shough can continue his hot streak.”

“Travis Etienne Jr. bounced back in a big way last season, amassing 1,100 rushing yards and seven rushing touchdowns for the Jaguars. He's headed into arguably an even better situation in New Orleans, at least in terms of backfield competition. Etienne posted an RB10 overall finish in 2025 with a 65.1% snap share. If that climbs up closer to the 75% range in New Orleans (which feels realistic given the depth chart), I don't see why he can't hit 1,500 rushing yards.”

“The Saints signed Travis Etienne to headline their backfield, but among 43 running backs with at least 150 touches last season, Etienne was 27th in yards per carry (4.3) and 33rd in percentage of rushes that went for zero or negative yards.”

“Etienne is too good a talent for the Saints to put him in a legitimate time share of any kind. Kellen Moore's offense has been capable of producing big fantasy numbers for running backs as well.”

“The team spent the offseason aggressively adding offensive help around Shough. Travis Etienne, Jordyn Tyson, and Oscar Delp were all brought in to strengthen the supporting cast.”

“The Bucs in Week 15 didn't give up a lot in the way of EPA per rush, but they struggled against pass-catching running backs, and Travis Etienne and Alvin Kamara are both good options there.”

“Pairing Tyson with Olave and free agent addition Travis Etienne Jr. would form a legitimately strong skill player group for Shough to work with, along with a quietly strong offensive line.”

“Travis Etienne is a free agent in 2026 (signed with the New Orleans Saints). They did draft two RBs in last year's draft, likely knowing they could lose ETN on the open market.”

“Jacksonville's only free agent addition so far is Chris Rodriguez Jr, who joins a backfield that no longer contains Travis Etienne.”