Ladd McConkey or Quentin Johnston: Who Should You Start?

2026 Week 2 · deterministic head-to-head · Verdicts based on PPR scoring.

Start McConkey — the projection and consensus rank edges are too wide to ignore.

Ladd McConkey projects 14.5 to Johnston's 10.0 and is the higher consensus play (WR19 to WR47). Johnston's edge is availability, a clean report to McConkey's Questionable. The gap is comfortable.

Ladd McConkey

Ladd McConkey

WR19LACvs LV

Projected Points

Start
Quentin Johnston

Quentin Johnston

WR47LACvs LV

Projected Points

Start· medium

Ladd McConkey’s market

ATD
Anytime TD
+165
Anytime Touchdown Props →

Quentin Johnston’s market

ATD
Anytime TD
+175
Anytime Touchdown Props →
LV@
LACSun, Sep 20, 4:05 PM ETView the game →
LV@
LACSun, Sep 20, 4:05 PM ETView the game →

Why Ladd McConkey

Start

WR1 and primary target. Elite separator from the slot or outside with precise route running.

Start — every-week WR start at consensus WR19: LV is the 11th-toughest matchup vs WRs, 25.5 implied team total.

  • Carries a Questionable tag — usually plays, but monitor the final report.
  • LV ranks 11 of 32 against WRs (one of the tougher matchups, 1-game sample).
  • Vegas implies 25.5 team points as 8.5-point favorites.
  • Listed WR on the latest depth chart with a 49% snap share.

Latest on McConkey

Status

McConkey is set to be monitored during the week and is "up in the air" to play Week 2 against the Raiders after undergoing testing to determine the rib injury's severity.

Yahoo Sports/USA Today · Sep 14, 2026
Status

McConkey suffered a rib injury (initially described as a chest injury) after a big hit against Arizona in Week 1 and was ruled day-to-day by Harbaugh, with his Week 2 status against the Raiders unresolved as of Monday.

ESPN · Sep 14, 2026
5 Takeaways: Jim Harbaugh Provides Ladd McConkey Injury Update, Turns Page to Week 2

The Chargers wide receiver has a rib injury and is considered day-to-day

chargers.com · Sep 14, 2026

Reported by the sources listed — not independently verified.

Why Quentin Johnston

Start· medium

Starting outside WR2. Big-bodied contested-catch target with red-zone scoring production.

22% target share on 78% of snaps as the WR2 in a 25.5-point implied offense — flex-worthy volume even at a WR47 tag.

  • LV ranks 11 of 32 against WRs (one of the tougher matchups, 1-game sample).
  • Vegas implies 25.5 team points as 8.5-point favorites.
  • Listed WR-2 on the latest depth chart with a 78% snap share.

The call

  • Role is locked in: 78% snap share and a 22% target share out of the WR-2 slot, with no injury designation muddying the workload.
  • The Chargers' 25.5 implied total and -8.5 spread point to a scoring day with red-zone looks available for the outside receivers.
  • Risk is the matchup — Las Vegas grades 11 of 32 in DvP composite vs WR, though that's off a single game with 0.00 confidence, so don't over-weight it.
  • At 10.2 projected he's a flex play, not a set-and-forget WR3; if you have a WR with a softer matchup and similar target share, that tips the other way.

Head-to-head stats

MetricLadd McConkeyQuentin Johnston
Projected points
Consensus rankWR19WR47
Opponent vs positionLV · 11 of 321-game sampleLV · 11 of 321-game sample
Receptions8 of 328 of 32
Receiving Yards23 of 3223 of 32
Receiving TDs1 of 321 of 32
Targets22 of 3222 of 32
Anytime TD1 of 321 of 32
Target share26%22%
Reception share29%12%
Implied total · spread25.5-8.525.5-8.5
Depth chartWR1WR2
Snap share49%78%
Injury designationQuestionable—
Start/Sit record—0–1

Recent form

Ladd McConkey — last 1 week

Week 1vs ARI

Quentin Johnston — last 1 week

Week 1vs ARI

Signal breakdown

  • 14.5 vs 10.0 projected PPR pointsLadd McConkey +
  • Rank 19 vs 47Ladd McConkey +
  • Opponent DvP rank 11 vs 11 (32 = softest)even
  • Implied 25.5 vs 25.5 team pointseven
  • Questionable vs no designationQuentin Johnston +
  • 49% vs 78% snap shareQuentin Johnston +

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