Who Should I Start? Ladd McConkey or Emeka Egbuka

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.

Thursday, February 19, 9:00 AM

Tampa Bay Buccaneers first-round wide receiver Emeka Egbuka came out of the gates as a clear favorite for Offensive Rookie of the Year, racking up 445 receiving yards and five touchdowns in the first five games of his career. Unfortunately, a Week 6 hamstring tweak and an inexplicable lack of chemistry with quarterback Baker Mayfield limited him to only 493 yards and one touchdown over his next 12 games. While neither Egbuka nor Mayfield missed a start, they were both clearly affected by injury at points throughout the year. With Chris Godwin Jr., Mike Evans, and Jalen McMillan in and out of the lineup with injuries of their own, Egbuka was never able to find a late-season rhythm as he worked to break through the rookie wall. Mike Evans has recently suggested he would be open to continuing his career outside of Tampa Bay, which could open a massive opportunity for Egbuka in year two. However, if the Buccaneers run it back in 2026 with the same foursome atop the depth chart, he may still struggle to find a consistent role and be viewed as a better-in-best-ball wideout.