Who Should I Start? Quentin Johnston or Ricky Pearsall

Tuesday, April 29, 12:14 AM

The Athletic's Daniel Popper thinks Los Angeles Chargers former first-rounder wide receiver Quentin Johnston will have to earn his roster spot in training camp this summer after the team added wideout Tre Harris in the second round this year. Harris and Mike Williams are downfield, contested-catch weapons for quarterback Justin Herbert, while Ladd McConkey has already proven himself as a game-changing slot receiver after just one year in the NFL. Popper thinks the Chargers will initially have McConkey in the slot, Williams at X and Harris at Z. Rookie Keandre Lambert-Smith will give the Bolts more speed on the field when they want it. The drop-prone Johnston was better last year with a 55-711-8 line in 15 games, but the addition of Harris is bad news for his fantasy value in single-year and dynasty/keeper formats in 2025.

Thursday, May 29, 6:04 PM

San Francisco 49ers wide receiver Ricky Pearsall (hamstring) is dealing with a hamstring injury and likely won't return to practice until training camp at the end of July, according to head coach Kyle Shanahan. It doesn't sound like it's a serious injury for Pearsall, the but Niners won't take any chances with last year's first-rounder after he also dealt with hammy issues going into his rookie season in 2024. The 24-year-old pass-catcher then suffered a gunshot wound to his chest and didn't make his NFL debut until Week 7. He's expected to have a key role in the offense in his sophomore season with Deebo Samuel Sr. no longer in town and Brandon Aiyuk (knee) unlikely to be ready for the start of the season, but Pearsall is going to lose valuable reps this offseason to gain chemistry with quarterback Brock Purdy. Pearsall could still be ready for Week 1, but this news doesn't do anything to dispel the notion that Pearsall is injury-prone.