Rookie Profile: Ladd McConkey, Wide Receiver, Los Angeles Chargers
Welcome to the Rookie Profile for Ladd McConkey, a Wide Receiver from Georgia. He is from Chatsworth, Georgia, and was a 3-star recruit out of North Murray High School.
In 2021, as a freshman, McConkey established himself as a key piece of the Bulldog’s offense. He totaled 31 receptions for 447 receiving yards and 5 touchdowns in 15 games on his way to a solid season.
He followed his solid freshman season up with another solid year in 2022, where in 13 games he caught 51 receptions for 675 receiving yards and 5 touchdowns.
His junior season of 2023 saw his production revert to his freshman numbers as he only played in 8 games, recording 29 receptions for 461 receiving yards and 2 touchdowns.
Measurables
Draft Capital & Landing Spot
Draft Capital- Round 2 Pick 2
- An early second-round selection was a bit of a surprise for a receiver who never showed truly elite production in three seasons with Georgia. The talent is there for him to be a moderate producer at the NFL level, but fantasy managers seem to have gone overboard looking for this year’s sexy slot-receiving sleeper.
- A sleeper is only a sleeper at the right value. When McConkey was a pick on the 2/3 turn in dynasty rookie drafts, he was a sleeper. Now, he is going at the end of the first round and he is being drafted at his ceiling, if not well above it.
- The draft capital is a vote of confidence for McConkey, unfortunately, it will now send the hype training screaming out of control.
Landing Spot- Los Angeles Chargers
- The landing spot completes the perfect storm for McConkey as he heads to perhaps the team most in need of a receiver. This is good for his NFL value and for his fantasy value as he is likely to be one of the more productive rookies from the beginning of the season, but once again it’s going to drive his cost through the roof.
- It’s nearly impossible to find a landing spot for a receiver that will receive more hype outside of the Chiefs and Bills. This one is going to be a hype train that could see him going in the single-digit rounds of redraft leagues let alone rookie drafts.
Team Depth Chart
Expected Role: Number 3 Receiver
Depth Chart via Fantasy Pros
Fantasy Impact
This is a mixed bag. On one hand, we see the perfect storm of landing spot and draft capital. While on the other hand, we see a player with only mediocre size and production.
The draft cost on McConkey is going to get so out of control that he simply cannot be anything but a bust. I was never a big believer in his talent as he always seemed to be an undersized and mediocre receiver on a great team.
This projects to be the wide receiver version of Clyde Edwards-Helaire. An average prospect who was ranked around the middle of the class got steamed up draft boards due to a perceived perfect storm of draft capital and landing spot. It didn’t turn out too well for Edwards-Helaire, and McConkey will prove to be just as much of a wasted investment for fantasy.
Check out The Fantasy Football Universe Sneak Peek Video of Ladd McConkey
Check out our 2024 Rookie Rankings Page for a full breakdown of this rookie class.
