Quentin Johnston
#3 WR,
Chargers

ACTUAL 2022
- FPTS
RANK: -
2023 SEASON
179 FPTS
RANK: 43
AGE
21 yrs
HEIGHT/WEIGHT
6'4'' / 215 lbs
COLLEGE
TCU
SEASON | GP | FPTS | RANK | TARGET | RECPT | REYD | RETD | REAVE |
2023 | 16 | 179 | 43rd | 101 | 65 | 853 | 5 | 13.1 |
Solid outing despite bad weather
Johnston caught five of his seven targets for 52 yards in the 6-0 win over the Patriots on Sunday.
It's a low benchmark, but after struggling for most of the season Sunday's outing was easily the best of the rookie's career, especially given the sloppy conditions. Keenan Allen predictably led the team in targets (nine), but it was encouraging to see Johnston get involved to the extent that he did as no other wide receiver saw more than three targets on the afternoon. It's too early to say the 22-year-old has turned the corner, but given the Chargers' desperate need for a second reliable pass catcher, Johnston will be afforded every opportunity to overcome his rookie woes.
Weekly Stats 2022
Stats not availablePerformance Splits 2020 to 2022
Stats not availableCareer Stats
Stats not availableLogs full practice Wednesday
Johnston (ribs/ finger) practiced fully Wednesday.
In Sunday night's 20-10 loss to the Ravens, Johnston was limited to one catch on three targets for seven yards, while logging 29 of a possible 66 snaps on offense. Johnston suffered a rib injury during the third quarter of the contest, per Kris Rhim of ESPN, but with a full practice Wednesday under his belt, the 2023 first-rounder is slated to play this weekend against the Patriots. However, as long as top wide receiver Keenan Allen (quad) is available, Johnston will profile as a hit-or-miss fantasy lineup option.
Participating in practice Wednesday
Johnston (ribs) is participating in practice Wednesday, Daniel Popper of The Athletic reports.
The extent of Johnston's participation remains to be seen, but his presence at practice Wednesday bodes well for his availability Sunday against the Patriots after Johnston sat out most of the second half Monday against the Ravens. Johnston caught one of three targets for seven yards in the 20-10 loss prior to hurting his ribs. The rookie wide receiver was medically cleared to return, so it's possible his inability to return to the game was at least in part performance-based.
X-rays come back negative
Coach Brandon Staley said Monday that X-rays on Johnston's ribs were returned negative, Daniel Popper of The Athletic reports.
Johnston didn't see the field after injuring his ribs in the third quarter of Sunday's loss to the Ravens. Afterward, coach Brandon Staley told Jeff Miller of the Los Angeles Times that "it wasn't that [Johnston] couldn't go back in the game. We just didn't feel like... it was the right thing to go back in the game." The reason for Johnston's lack of late-game reps thus was precautionary, but Staley also relayed to Miller on Monday that the wide receiver wasn't 100 percent. There's an expectation that Johnson will take part in practice this week, but the Chargers won't get back on the field until Wednesday, at the earliest, ahead of Sunday's contest at New England.
Rough showing in primetime
Johnston secured one of three targets for seven yards during Sunday night's 20-10 loss to the Ravens.
Johnston exited Sunday's loss in the third quarter due to a rib injury and didn't retake the field, though coach Brandon Staley said after the game that the rookie first-round pick was medically cleared. "It wasn't that [Johnston] couldn't go back in the game," Staley said. "We just didn't feel like... it was the right thing to go back in the game." Johnston also had a crucial drop on the final drive of Los Angeles' loss to the Packers in Week 11, and he may not have much more leeway for error before running the risk of falling out of favor with his coaching staff. He faces a tough matchup against New England's secondary Week 12.
Big drop Sunday
Johnston caught two of six targets for 21 yards in Sunday's 23-20 loss to the Packers.
Johnston's underwhelming performance was marred by a critical drop on Los Angeles' final drive, preventing the team from entering scoring position. The rookie first-rounder has just one 50-yard game and one touchdown through his first 10 appearances, struggling to make a significant impact despite playing in one of the league's better passing offenses.
Scores first professional TD
Johnston caught all four of his targets for 34 yards and a touchdown in Sunday's 41-38 loss to the Lions.
It took 10 weeks, but Johnston finally scored his first NFL touchdown thanks to a nifty designed red-zone play early in the fourth quarter. The rookie's counting stats Sunday are hardly worth applauding, but Johnston did draw two long pass interference calls, and on the first one the 22-year-old likely should have still brought in the ball and galloped untouched for a lengthy score. While fantasy managers have to acknowledge it's a relatively low bar set, this was easily Johnston's best game to date and represents a bit of hope for the weeks to come. Expect the Chargers to utilize Johnston heavily next week against the porous Packers defense.
Fails with additional opportunities
Johnston caught two of his three targets for 14 yards in the 27-6 drubbing of the Jets on Monday.
The Chargers attempted the second fewest pass attempts of the season to date, but it was still discouraging to see Johnston relegated to an afterthought with nominal No. 2 wideout Joshua Palmer (knee) sidelined in this one. While quarterback Justin Herbert's first read will seemingly always be Keenan Allen (8-9-77 on Monday), it seems likely to assume a more back-and-forth affair would have created a few more opportunities for the first-round rookie to be involved almost by default. Johnston's fantasy value will likely depend on the status of Palmer, even in a presumably better offensive matchup Week 10 against the Lions.
Primed for more run?
Johnston could be a featured target of the Chargers' passing attack with Joshua Palmer (knee) sidelined ahead of Monday's matchup against the Jets.
Johnston almost has to be a major target given Palmer was a featured option (19 receptions, 349 yards, one touchdown) in the team's previous five games. While Keenan Allen and Austin Ekeler will likely be heavily utilized in the passing game, quarterback Justin Herbert has typically leaned on at least three pass catchers in a given game even in the most dire of situations, and the Jets' defense poses a significant obstacle specifically against the ground game. The 2023 first-round pick finally was involved Week 8 against the pitiful Bears defense (5-6-50) largely after Palmer reaggravated his knee injury, but Monday will pose an entirely different, and difficult, threat in a game that has significant playoff aspirations for both sides.