Who Should I Start? Justin Jefferson or Ladd McConkey

Tuesday, February 17, 9:11 AM

For the first time since the end of his explosive rookie season, Minnesota Vikings wide receiver Justin Jefferson is being priced outside the top five of the position in dynasty startups. Still only 26 years old, the dip in value is in no way indicative of a decline in talent but rather stems from the poor quarterback play that contributed to his career-worst 9.4 fantasy points per game in 2025. Unfortunately for Jefferson and the Vikings, no quick fix appears to be coming to Minnesota, with the team likely to give third-year signal-caller J.J. McCarthy one more shot to lock down the starting job for 2026. It should come as no surprise if the team also brings in a veteran presence for a training camp competition, though the free agent market is relatively barren. Head coach Kevin O'Connell has long been regarded as a quarterback whisperer, but unless he's able to draw a drastic improvement from McCarthy or whomever he deems worthy of leading the team moving forward, Jefferson's value could continue to slide.

Tuesday, February 17, 4:35 AM

Los Angeles Chargers wide receiver Ladd McConkey had a frustrating second season in the NFL. He caught 66 passes for 789 yards and six touchdowns, ranking as the overall WR30. He wasn't a total bust, but he certainly failed to live up to the expectations he had established after finishing as the WR13 as a rookie in 2024. That same year, he had 1,149 yards and seven touchdowns. Justin Herbert continues to play at a very high level, so we can't blame his regression on poor quarterback play. The Chargers' bottom-tier offensive line could have been a contributing factor, but more likely than not, defenses just started to do a better job game-planning for the former second-round pick now that they had a full year's worth of film on him. Los Angeles replaced offensive coordinator Greg Roman with Mike McDaniel this offseason, which should benefit all of the Chargers' skill players in fantasy football. Additionally, there might be a few extra targets to go around, now that Keenan Allen is headed for free agency. All in all, managers absolutely should not panic about McConkey after the 2025 season. In fact, dynasty managers might be able to buy low on McConkey if his current manager is frustrated by how he played last year.