Apparently, Sports Illustrated has predicted that HC Jim Harbaugh will win Coach of the Year in 2024. While that’s always a possibility, in my mind, it’s ridiculous to make that assumption, as he and the team have not won a single game yet. It won’t be hard to improve from 2023’s 5-12 record, but I don’t sense that the team has gotten a lot better, other than perhaps at running back. It did seem as if they had a solid draft, but only time will tell how these draftees work out, or how it takes for them to come around. Here’s a look at the team as it currently stands.

QB: In my view, QB Justin Herbert is one of the better quarterbacks in the league. While I’m sure that he will air it out often, I suspect that Harbaugh will employ a run-first strategy, which could hurt his numbers a bit. Herbert has decent targets to throw to, but the loss of sure-handed WR Keenan Allen is a tough one. Still, Herbert will be a QB1 in most fantasy leagues.

RB: Look for improvement in the Chargers’ running game with the addition of RB Gus Edwards and RB J.K. Dobbins. I assume that each of them has RB1 potential, although I’d initially pencil Edwards in as an RB1, and the speedster Dobbins as an RB1 with big play possibilities.

WR: When Herbert throws, who will he throw to? My best guess is that he spreads the ball around until he establishes trust and consistency. WR Josh Palmer is solid, but I’ve always viewed him as the third receiver on the field, so perhaps he can step up this season. WR Quentin Johnston did not impress for much of 2023, but he improved as the year wore on, which was encouraging. WR D.J. Chark is an establish veteran and legit deep threat, albeit with a history of injuries. Rookies WR Ladd McConkey and WR Brenden Rice certainly have potential and should get their chance to shine. I don’t think I’d spend a high fantasy draft pick on any of these guys until I see who is getting the looks and who isn’t.

TE: The tight end situation also remains a bit muddled, as TE Will Dissly, TE Hayden Hurst, TE Donald Parham and TE Stone Smart will all get their chances. Parham is the deep threat of the bunch. Dissly has the potential to get the most looks, but as with the Chargers receivers, I wouldn’t draft any of them, but rather, view this as a watch and learn situation.

PK: This one is easy. The Chargers kicker is PK Cameron Dicker, and he’s an above average fantasy option.

DEF: I’m a lot less optimistic about the Chargers defense than most. When was the last time that you can remember the Chargers having a very good defense? It’s been a lot of years, hasn’t it. I feel as if the Bolts did a good job drafting some solid defensive rookies, but can they perform in 2024? There are rumors that the Chargers could trade DE Joey Bosa, possibly to the Bills for a 3^rd round pick. I think this could make sense, as Bosa’s been injured a lot, plus the team has a couple of solid edge pass rushers in DE Khalil Mack and DE Tuli Tuipulotu. While Mack has played well, he’s 33 years old, which for an edge rusher, makes him a senior citizen (if only I was 33 again, sigh.) Good luck in your fantasy drafts!

End.