Murphy upgraded Quentin Johnston after parsing a steady drumbeat of rave reviews from Jim Harbaugh and the Chargers’ staff. Harbaugh publicly called Johnston and rookie Lad McConkey “elite,” and coaches have repeatedly mentioned QJ when discussing their starting X and Z roles. From what Murphy has seen in early formations, Johnston is getting every-down work—sometimes at X but more often at Z where his yards-after-catch skills can be featured on manufactured touches. With Johnston locked into a top-two WR snap rate and an ADP that already bakes in last year’s inefficiency, Murphy believes the second-year wideout has enough spike-week upside to smash in Best Ball Mania drafts and has moved him up his personal ranks accordingly.

Matt Harmon cautioned that Quentin Johnston’s fantasy ceiling remains limited even if the Chargers finally deploy him correctly. Last year’s regime "set him up to fail" by asking him to replace Mike Williams as a boundary X—something his TCU film never supported. The new staff should move Johnston off the line and feed him schemed touches where, according to Harmon, he was "quietly pretty good" in 2023. However, once rookie Trey Harris claims the X assignment and Ladd McConkey acts as Justin Herbert’s primary separator, Johnston’s overall target count is likely to shrink in order to reduce his volatility. Harmon advised treating Johnston as a late-round, best-ball-only dart rather than a lineup mainstay in season-long leagues.

Pat Fantasy Dog Pound believes the market is mispricing Quentin Johnston, saying he ‘goes a little too late’ in what he calls the wide-receiver dead zone. Because that pocket often forces drafters into floor-only slot options, Pat is happily scooping Johnston—along with Cedric Tillman—whenever he needs ceiling at that juncture. The thesis is straightforward: Johnston’s athletic profile and spike-week potential fit best ball better than the low-aDOT chain movers typically drafted around him, and the opportunity cost in that ADP neighborhood is minimal.

Andy Holloway urged managers not to write off Quentin Johnston, noting that even in a rocky rookie season he was on a 17-game pace for 109 targets and 9.1 touchdowns while commanding a 23.5% target-per-route rate—elite territory for a first-year wideout. With Mike Williams retired and only rookie Trey Harris added, Johnston has a clearer path to Z-receiver snaps and red-zone looks. Holloway doesn’t believe the Chargers will re-sign Keenan Allen before camp, so Johnston could open the season as Justin Herbert’s primary big-play option. Andy views him as a double-digit-round lottery ticket who could pay off as a weekly WR3 if his improved hands show up in preseason.

Winks said Mike Williams landing on PUP and abruptly retiring removes the veteran-snap risk that capped Quentin Johnston’s ceiling. Coaching staff has already labeled Johnston the starter, while rookie Trey Harris must first pass conditioning tests. Expecting plenty of three-wide looks in a balanced Roman offense, Winks bumped Johnston and Harris into the 120-150 range, noting Johnston deserves the bigger tier leap because his target share is now insulated. Even with past drop issues, Johnston’s YAC ability paired with Justin Herbert’s arm makes him a priority late-round spike-week bet.

Best Ball Guy argued that Quentin Johnston remains a worthwhile stash, stressing that "you can't deny what he's done"—1,200 yards and 12 touchdowns across his first two seasons. The former first-rounder still carries premium draft capital and, in the tout’s view, deserves more respect in current best-ball rooms. With a clear path to starting snaps and big-play history, Johnston profiles as an upside swing after the 10th round.

Tyler Knaeble said Quentin Johnston is in a "phenomenal spot" to win a full-time outside receiver job for the Chargers. His optimism comes from two concrete depth-chart advantages: veteran Mike Williams opened camp on the PUP list and is missing valuable practice reps, while rookie Trey Harris still has not signed his contract. With both competitors sidelined, Johnston has been running unopposed in those boundary snaps. Knaeble framed this as a pivotal window for the 2023 first-round pick to impress coaches and lock in playing time well before Week 1, making him a priority Best Ball target at current ADP.

Kevin Szafraniec said he is still scooping up Quentin Johnston in the Round-13/14 pocket because the profile lines up perfectly for best-ball tournaments. Kevin is not convinced rookie Trey Harris will out-snap Johnston – at worst he sees a 50/50 split – and he flat-out dismissed early-camp blurbs that Mike Williams will start opposite Ladd McConkey. Johnston finished 2023 with a 1.79 yards-per-route mark over the final month and drew a target on 28 % of his routes during that span, numbers Kevin views as proof the former first-rounder finally acclimated. In Kevin’s projections Johnston needs only 80–85 targets to pop two or three WR1 weeks thanks to his 14-yard aDOT and 99th-percentile explosion score. That boom potential pairs cleanly with a Texans bring-back in Week 17, so Kevin gladly bypasses same-range options like Adam Thielen to chase Johnston’s ceiling.

Best Ball Guy said he is "back in" on Quentin Johnston whenever the second-year wide-out slips into the 130-to-140 range. Johnston still carries first-round draft capital and has already logged roughly 1,200 yards and 12 touchdowns through two disappointing seasons. At that sticker price Johnston can slide directly into the Chargers’ WR2 role if rookie Trey Harris face-plants, giving drafters inexpensive exposure to what he called a "pretty fun offense." The host framed Johnston as a low-cost way to buy contingent target upside that could pay off in tournament playoff weeks.

Kevin Szafraniec said Quentin Johnston is still worth scooping in the ugly WR13-14 range of Best Ball Mania drafts. Johnston’s 2023 finish left questions about whether he can hang on to the role he flashed down the stretch, and Szafraniec acknowledged rookie Trey Harris could force a split. Camp reports even have a recently-signed Mike Williams opening opposite Ladd McConkey—news Kevin flat-out does not buy. For him, Johnston’s value hinges on spike-week upside, not weekly start-sit reliability: two or three WR-1 caliber eruptions plus a handful of WR-2 lines would more than pay off his price. The pick also completes an inexpensive Chargers–Texans Week-17 bringback for drafters who already grabbed Houston pieces such as Nico Collins or C.J. Stroud earlier in the room.

Davis Mattek argued that Quentin Johnston is being drafted far too late for a first-round wideout entering Year 2. He pulled a Pro-Football-Reference filter of first-round receivers who cleared 1,000 yards but stayed under 1,500 yards with at least five TDs through two seasons and rattled off names like Will Fuller, Dez Bryant and Hakeem Nicks— all strong producers in their sophomore campaigns. The only outright busts to hit that statistical threshold were Josh Doctson and Jahan Dotson. Mattek’s takeaway is that no other receiver with Johnston’s rookie-year counting stats would be priced this cheaply; drafters are dinging him for “aesthetics” rather than substance. With Ladd McConkey and Trey Harris drawing coverage on the other side, Johnston just needs average efficiency to smash his dirt-cheap Best Ball ADP.

Greg Brainos urged drafters to smash Quentin Johnston at his current 17th-round ADP. Beat writers continue to say new OC Greg Roman is scheming vertical shot plays for the second-year wideout, and Johnston reportedly added eight pounds of muscle after a full offseason with Keenan Allen gone. Brainos reminded listeners that Johnston posted a 37% target rate on his 66 routes from the slot as a rookie, evidence the Chargers want the ball in his hands. In a half-PPR best-ball tournament he values the spike-week profile—Johnston’s 4.4 speed produced a 92nd percentile yards-after-catch figure at TCU—and thinks the ambiguous LAC target tree creates a realistic path to 90 targets. At the cost of a throwaway pick, Brainos sees a classic high-variance receiver who can single-handedly win a playoff week.

Billy Jones endorsed Quentin Johnston as a smash value in the double-digit rounds. Jones highlighted that Jim Harbaugh’s staff has already said Johnston will open as a starter opposite Keenan Allen, giving the former first-rounder a locked-in snap floor. He pushed back on last year’s narrative that Johnston ‘can’t catch,’ noting drop rate is one of the NFL’s least sticky statistics and citing research showing it routinely regresses to league average. With Justin Herbert extending plays more often—his scramble rate climbed last year—Johnston’s vertical speed and yards-after-catch ability create multiple 25-point spike-week paths. Jones projected a year-two leap into the 100-target range and called him the cheapest direct exposure to a Chargers offense most drafters are ignoring.

Calling it the "easiest pick of my life," Mattek grabbed Quentin Johnston in the double-digit rounds as his second wide receiver. He cited Johnston’s rookie line of 55 catches, 711 yards and eight touchdowns and emphasized that hitting on a cheap breakout candidate in a high-volume Chargers offense would be “completely outsized” for a roster already loaded at QB, RB and TE. Johnston is the type of discounted pass catcher who could replicate last season’s Puka Nacua league-winning surge and vault a thin WR room into tournament contention.

Pat Fantasy Dog Pound flagged Quentin Johnston as an auto-click any time he slips 10–11 spots past his 136.0 ADP. Johnston’s fantasy playoffs feature back-to-back dome contests—first at home against Houston, then a potential indoor shoot-out at Dallas—conditions Pat says ‘make it way easier to haul in deep balls’ than last year’s frigid trip to New England that smothered the Chargers’ passing attack. With Mike Williams gone, Johnston has a clearer runway to the WR2 role, yet he’s being drafted almost 30 picks later than his rookie cost. Pat views him as an ideal WR6 who can spike for 25-plus points in Week 17 and carry a best-ball roster over the finish line.

Pat Fantasy Dog Pound said he has warmed up to Quentin Johnston now that the former first-rounder is sliding into the 150–160 range of Sprint drafts. At that price you are hunting for isolated ceiling games, not weekly consistency, and Pat thinks Johnston’s field-stretching role gives him exactly the kind of two-touchdown week that can swing a cumulative-points playoff. The Chargers’ thin receiver depth chart after the offseason exodus only sweetens the deal. Pat summed it up: "In this range you’re only looking for a few spike weeks—QJ can absolutely give you those."