Dynasty Fantasy Football Free Agency Preview 2026: Los Angeles Chargers

The Los Angeles Chargers have lived in the land of “not quite” in recent years. Injuries have played a large part in holding back their success, losing guys like Rashawn Slater and Joe Alt last year. Justin Herbert also hasn’t quite risen to the occasion in the playoffs, though we believe he’s capable. And we know that it all could come together for a big year at some point.

Jim Harbaugh and company are hoping that the time is now. And they are hoping that the spark comes from Mike McDaniel and his creative scheming. There’s a lot to sort out here in free agency with a big overhaul in how things are done, so that’s what we plan to do today. 

As with the rest of this series - which is now into the final division - we are making our free agency predictions. We are looking at depth charts, scheme fits, and salary space to figure out what might happen. If there is a fantasy football spin, we hit it. If you want to see where we have all these guys ranked, become a Fantasy Alarm Member today to access our full Dynasty Fantasy Football Rankings along with our buy, hold, or sell recommendations!

*The salary cap numbers referenced in this article come courtesy of our friends over at Spotrac.com*

Los Angeles Chargers Depth Chart 2026 (Fantasy Football Relevant)

KEY

• White = free agent
• Green = role is safe
• Yellow =  role in flux
• Orange = likely a depth piece
• Red = roster spot not guaranteed

Los Angeles Chargers Free Agency 2026

• CURRENT PROJECTED TOP 51 2026 SALARIES: $218M
• CURRENT ESTIMATED 2026 TEAM CAP SPACE: $85M

Free Agent Types

Unrestricted free agent: Any player with four or more accrued seasons whose contract has expired. They are free to negotiate with any team.

Restricted free agent: A player with three accrued seasons and an expired contract. The CBA allowed for NFL teams to tender these players to one-year qualifying offers to retain them. Another team can sign them, but would need to provide the tendering team with compensation. In layman’s terms, if a new team signs a player, the current team can match it, or they receive the corresponding pick from the new team. These are the projected RFA tender levels per OverTheCap.com:

• 1st Round - $7,893,000
• 2nd Round - $5,658,000
• Right of First Refusal - $3,453,000

Exclusive rights free agent: Any player with fewer than three accrued seasons and an expired contract. If his original team offers him a one-year contract at the league minimum, the player cannot negotiate with other teams. If the team wants the player back, these contracts are a no-brainer as the player either needs to play on the contract or sit out. 

Chargers Quarterback Depth Chart

Justin Herbert

We often split quarterbacks into two types (rushing vs. pocket), but it really should be three: rushing, mobile, and pocket. Some guys like Jared Goff are just pure pocket passers. Others, like Patrick Mahomes, clearly use their mobility to their advantage. This has always been the group Justin Herbert has been in, but this year, he dipped his toe into the “rushing” label. The floor for that for us is 5 carries a game, and, technically, he hit that mark with 83 carries in 16 games.

That said, I still view him more as a mobile QB vs. a true rusher. In the previous season, he had 38 designed run attempts in 18 total games, and this year he had 37 in 17 total games, so not a major change. He just flexed his mobility muscles with more opportunistic running. Either way, Herbert is the kind of quarterback we are happy to hold onto and start in pretty much any dynasty format. 

Trey Lance

Having Trey Lance as the backup quarterback, given his lack of overall success, was a bit of a bold move. But he’s been around the league a few years now and also offers more upside than guys like Easton Stick, who they’ve utilized in the past. In deep leagues, especially superflex, you still kind of need to roster guys like Justin Fields or Trey Lance with the hopes they can start at some point. The willingness to run alone is so powerful in fantasy football at the QB position. Borderline broken in leagues with four-point passing TDs.

• Reserves/Futures: DJ Uiagalelei

CHARGERS QB FREE AGENCY TAKE: Trey Lance is an unrestricted free agent so the Chargers may need to address the position. They don’t really need to develop guys as they have Herbert. And, with the injury history for Herbert, finding someone who can actually play should be important here. Bonus points if they also have some mobility. Here are some guys that come to mind.

• POSSIBLE FREE AGENT OPTIONS: Trey Lance, Marcus Mariota, Tyler Huntley, Tyrod Taylor, Sam Howell

Chargers Running Back Depth Chart

Omarion Hampton

Last year, the Najee Harris business and the injuries to Hampton himself poured some cold water on his rookie potential. Then injuries to the offensive line really pulled the rug. In 2026, we could not be more excited, though. Mike McDaniel brings a friendly scheme that uses a fullback and multiple tight ends. Plus, it uses pre-snap motion that helps open things up. The two backs that have run the most routes from a WR spot over the last two years are Christian McCaffrey and De’Vone Achane, operating in this same scheme. Safe to say, we are buying Omarion Hampton. 

Najee Harris

This was a tough year for Najee Harris, to say the least. First, he hurts his eye in the offseason in a firework accident. Then, in Week 3, he suffers a season-ending Achilles injury. That second injury could linger into 2026, though he did post a video showing that he’s already running. He’s expected to test the free agent market again here in 2026 as an unrestricted free agent. 

Kimani Vidal

Kimani Vidal went from the fringes of the roster to the starting running back for the Chargers due to the injuries this year. And his efforts likely helped secure his roster spot in 2026, as they can easily bring him back via the exclusive rights free agent tag. The question now is how involved he will be in 2026. He could end up as the RB2 and even hit “handcuff plus” levels for fantasy, or if they were to sign someone, he could end up back towards the depth part of the roster.

Hassan Haskins

Haskins is an unrestricted free agent but could be back in 2026. Why? He played the third-most special teams snaps of any player on the team, appearing on four different units. A valuable real-life guy.

Jaret Patterson

Patteson was released late in the season, then added back to the practice squad. He’s an unrestricted free agent. 

Scott Matlock

Matlock becomes an interesting character here with how much Mike McDaniel likes using the fullback. They might want to upgrade, but he’s under contract and will be in the discussion. 

• Reserves/Futures: Amar Johnson

CHARGERS RB FREE AGENCY TAKE: For the last calendar year, leaders around the Chargers clubhouse have mentioned wanting two backs. That seems to be the drumbeat around the league. But we actually aren’t particularly concerned about that going into 2026. Mike McDaniel has mixed in multiple backs, but his feature back generally seems to get the high-leverage touches. And that’s what we expect for Omarion Hampton.

I think they could be fine with Hampton, Vidal, and some depth behind them. But here are some potentially affordable guys who could sneak in behind Hampton and ahead of Vidal on the depth chart. 

• POSSIBLE FREE AGENT OPTIONS: Kenneth Gainwell, Rachaad White, Brian Robinson, Dameon Pierce, Raheem Mostert, Sean Tucker (if his RFA tender is not picked up)

Chargers Wide Receiver Depth Chart

Ladd McConkey

Ladd McConkey had a down year after his fantastic rookie year in 2025. But when it comes to free agency discussions, these things all need to be considered in a reasonable context. Ladd McConkey is obviously a rock-solid player on a rookie deal with a good quarterback. The offensive line should be much improved, and we like the scheme.

The thing about this scheme that Mike McDaniel runs that will be a major theme here is how much he adapts it to the personnel vs. what he’s historically done. In the past, he’s focused on two WR sets with the other snaps picked up by a fullback and tight ends rather than featuring a WR3. Unless the Chargers decide he’s not a scheme fit and make some crazy trade for a big return, I expect him to be one of those two WRs, which would be good for his value. It wouldn’t make sense to use him as a part-time slot guy, as that is not only a waste, but it also kills any future trade value. Which, the more that I think of it, doesn’t make a surprise McConkey trade THAT crazy. 

Quentin Johnston

Quentin Johnston is the guy who has been most connected to trade rumors of the group so far. The argument here is that they might not want him there long term, but they do need to decide on his fifth-year option by May. Another team might look at his cheap deal this year and the ~$16.5M price next year and be willing to pay a decent price for that kind of player.

If Johnston is there, then I do expect McConkey and Johnson to be the primary guys. And we’ve seen speedy, deep threat guys do well in this scheme. Tyreek Hill with Mike McDaniel, Tank Dell with Bobby Slowik, Rashid Shaheed with Klint Kubiak in New Orleans. I mean, Jaxon Smith-Njigba just led the league in 20+ yard catches, and his 614 yards on those were 127 more than the next highest. Obviously, QJ isn’t JSN, but this scheme plays into his hands. 

Keenan Allen

So I’m a little surprised by how things have developed this offseason regarding Keenan Allen. He said he “fully intends” to play football and be on the Chargers. And Joe Hortiz also recently said, “it’s a possibility”. Which doesn’t make a whole lot of sense to me. Historically, this team has used two wide receivers primarily. In two straight seasons, Mike McDaniel has had a WR run 70% of his routes from a WR spot (which is what Oronde Gadsden essentially does). So now they are going to do that, with the fullback, as well as Ladd McConkey, Quentin Johnston, Keenan Allen, and Tre Harris? It doesn’t really check out unless we are looking at a complete scheme overhaul here.

Tre Harris

The situation for Tre Harris is feeling pretty simple right now - he needs a trade to happen. Whether it’s Ladd McConkey or Quentin Johnston, that’s his path to being an every-down player. If they do a trade, they can even bring back Keenan Allen to be the part-time slot guy. But right now it is hypothetically crowded at the top, just like it was last year. 

Derius Davis

Derius Davis was the primary punt and kick returner for the Chargers. As he’s under contract for 2026, I don’t see why that would change. 

KeAndre Lambert-Smith

The depth chart was so front-loaded that the back end was mostly special teams. KeAndre Lambert-Smith’s contributions were primarily made returning kicks alongside Derius Davis. Late round guys like this aren’t always safe when new coordinators come in - he was on the roster bubble last year.

• Reserves/Futures: JaQuae Jackson, Dalevon Campbell, Luke Grimm

CHARGERS WR FREE AGENCY TAKE: As we’ve pointed out along the way here, the Chargers probably have too many high-end WRs for the scheme as it stands. If they bring back Keenan Allen, that would confuse me even further. So they don’t need to really go out and spring for a wide receiver in free agency. Unless maybe Mike McDaniel is dead set on reuniting with Tyreek Hill - though I’m not sure that’s a great idea.

• POSSIBLE FREE AGENT OPTIONS: N/A

Chargers Tight End Depth Chart

Oronde Gadsden

Things went about as well as they could for a rookie tight end drafted in this range with this profile. Converted WRs can have a hard time getting snaps, but Gadsden pushed the issue. And, as we mentioned earlier in the article, the recent history with Mike McDaniel running TEs from a WR spot bodes well for Gadsden.

The two things that could hurt Gadsden are either a scheme change or free agent additions. More wide receiver usage vs. TEs would not be ideal. And Mike McDaniel has a couple of buddies floating around in free agency with Darren Waller and Greg Dulcich. We are rooting for Gadsden here.

Will Dissly

Dissly started the year as the primary inline tight end, but injuries derailed that. He’s under contract in 2026 but could be released with $4M in savings, which might make sense here. We’ll know for sure by March 15th where he has a $1M roster bonus due. 

Tucker Fisk

When Dissly went down, Tucker Fisk actually beat out Tyler Conklin to be the inline blocking tight end. He’s a restricted free agent, and I’m not sure they want to pony up even the lower-level tender here but maybe they do bring him back on a different deal. 

Tyler Conklin

Things didn’t really work out with Conklin, and he was even a healthy scratch at times. We expect him to walk in free agency. 

• Reserves/Futures: Thomas Yassmin, Tanner McLachlan

CHARGERS TE FREE AGENCY TAKE: There are two versions of this scheme. One uses a two-way, inline tight end as the 49ers use with George Kittle. Other variations use an inline tight end who skews blocking with another one who operates more as a big WR. That’s what Mike McDaniel has done, and that’s what makes a lot of sense here.

We are rooting for Oronde Gadsden. But, as we mentioned, maybe they want to have tryouts with guys like Darren Waller or Greg Dulcich, who were with McDaniel last year. They also might want to bring in an outside blocking tight end, of which there are options. Foster Moreau and Durham Smythe are familiar with the scheme. 

• POSSIBLE FREE AGENT OPTIONS:
  • Pass-Catching: Darren Waller, Greg Dulcich, Stone Smartt
  • Blocking: Adam Trautman, Foster Moreau

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