The Los Angeles Chargers earned their first victory in Week 3, but it came at a cost. Standout wide receiver Mike Williams suffered a torn ACL, per ESPN’s Adam Schefter, which will sideline him for the rest of the year. So, should fantasy football managers look to replace Williams with rookie Quentin Johnston?
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Should Quentin Johnston Be a Fantasy Waiver Wire Add in Week 4?
A first-round pick this past April, it’s been a slow start for Johnston to his rookie season. The former TCU standout has totaled just five catches for 26 yards in his first three career games and has been an afterthought in Kellen Moore’s offense.
The main reason for Johnston’s lack of usage can be attributed to his position on the depth chart behind Williams and star Keenan Allen. In fact, even Josh Palmer has played a higher snap share (60%) than Johnston (22.3%), per Pro Football Reference.
With Williams out for the rest of 2023, the Chargers will need to count on Johnston a lot more than they have thus far. At 6-foot-4, 215 pounds, Johnston has a similar body type to Williams.
At TCU, Johnston was a dangerous vertical threat. He has the ability to make contested catches the same way we’ve been accustomed to seeing Williams make. The Chargers need someone able to stretch the field in order for the underneath passing game to open up, the area where Allen thrives.
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Like Williams, Johnston also plays almost exclusively on the outside. Meanwhile, Palmer lines up a significant amount inside. The third-year pass catcher was in the slot for 37.1% of passing snaps against Minnesota, per PFF.
While Palmer has seen more playing time early on, Johnston is simply the more natural replacement for Williams in the Chargers’ offense.
For fantasy managers, it’s certainly worth targeting Johnston on the waiver wire this week. Already three weeks into the season, there likely isn’t another unrostered player that possesses the upside Johnston has in L.A.’s aerial attack.
Justin Herbert targeted Johnston on three of his 16 snaps this past week, a number that figures to skyrocket moving forward with Williams’ injury.
For those who do add Johnston on the waiver wire this week, don’t rush to insert him into your starting lineups.
Adding Johnston is a long-term play, as he’s likely to make a bigger impact later in the season as he continues to get more comfortable in the offense. Palmer is likely the better fantasy add right away, as he’s already earned Herbert’s trust, having caught passes from him for three years.
The Chargers have been cautious with Johnston so far, but it’s time for the training wheels to come off. Los Angeles drafted Johnston in the first round for a reason. Time to show why.