Fantasy Football Managers Should be Worried, but Not Panicked About Quentin Johnston

Quentin Johnston had zero targets in Week 8 Thursday Night Football. This does not tell the entire story as we analyze the future value of the Chargers WR.

Oct 5, 2025; Inglewood, California, USA; Los Angeles Chargers wide receiver Quentin Johnston (1) is forced out of bounds by Washington Commanders cornerback Marshon Lattimore (2) after a complete pass at SoFi Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Jayne Kamin-Oncea-Imagn Images | Jayne Kamin-Oncea-Imagn Images

Thursday Night Football came and went while Quentin Johnston was little to be found in the matchup. This carries some notable concern for fantasy football managers. Was he hurt? What happened? Tre' Harris filled in for increased snaps and scored his first career touchdown. No shift in this receiving core was expected so, of course, this is very concerning and could raise panic to fantasy football managers. Will Harris jump Johnston? Should you sell Johnston? These are all questions that I will help answer today.

What Happened in Thursday Night Football

This offense was not on paper as it was seen on television. Keenan Allen was the wide receiver with the lowest snap share among the key options. He was on the field for just 25% of plays. After that, it was Johnston for 52%, McConkey for 58%, and Harris lead the way at 59%. Oronde Gadsden II played 77% and Tucker Fisk played 59%.

There are a few takeaways here. First off, the Chargers went very run heavy as they got out to a lead. They have been among the pass heaviest NFL teams through seven weeks. Last night, they attempted 25 passes (37%) and ran the ball 43 times (63%). This is a drop of over 50% in the pass game, hence snap shares of receivers dipping from 75-85% to 50-60%.

Will Quentin Johnston Lose Work to Tre' Harris?

This is a tough question to ask. The short answer would be — no. However, the team does want to get Harris more involved. He played more in part due to the run-heavier schematics and the big lead that the Chargers had gotten. He will still see more work going forward as a high draft pick was invested in him. Good play results in more play.

Harris could take away from snaps of other wideouts, but he should not dominate their workloads, especially in the short term.

Oronde Gadsden II Breaks Out

If there is any reason to be concerned, it is due to the breakout of Gadsden II. Over the past three weeks, few players have been as great as Gadsden. He has 22 Targets for 19 Receptions over his last three games. This has given him 2 Touchdowns. Gadsden is a pure pass catching tight end, so he could be a new favorite target of Justin Herbert. This is another added risk to the profile of Johnston.

Chargers WR Room Outlook

The Chargers are working with a really good problem right now. They have four viable wide receivers that all are WR2 capable on most NFL rosters. It would be irrational to think that anyone will just fall off the face of the earth.

Peep Quentin Johnston pic.twitter.com/WsT1NpfijM

— ᴅᴏxx ⚡️ (@new_era72) October 24, 2025

If anyone did see a dip in work, it is likely Johnston. Keenan Allen has been a red zone, trustworthy force. McConkey has been a route-running machine that is back on a tear as of recent. Johnston is more of a big play threat so he could see a production dip. If this did happen, it would not be immediately. At least, it should not be immediate. Thursday Night Football can result in some whacky outputs. We must turn a new page and look forward.

Should You Panic About Quentin Johnston?

I would air concern about Johnston, but I would not panic. He may have had zero targets, but he did play. Gameplans play out in interesting fashion, especially when a team builds a momentous lead. Prior to this week, Johnston had played at 76% of snaps in every game that he suited up for.

It is very difficult to feed four receivers in an offense. For that reason, the Chargers will be volatile in their receiving production. If any player is a boom-or-bust candidate, it is Johnston. Going forward, I would expect he is a volatile player with 40-45 Yard output. At best, he is a Flex play. No time to panic, but know that you have risk on your hands.