Quentin Johnston suffered a concussion in the Chargers' preseason opener against the Rams after a big hit from Tanner Ingle on a Herbert pass. Diagnosed as a precaution, Johnston was taken to the hospital but later sat up as he was escorted off the field. Johnston, LA's 2023 first‑round pick, carved out a role as a deep threat last year with 711 yards and eight touchdowns on 55 receptions, setting expectations for a bigger volume in 2024. KeAndre Lambert-Smith also exited with an injury, signaling early depth questions for LA's receiver corps.

Those hits cast a shadow over LA's passing game as fantasy managers weigh the impact. With Johnston possibly sidelined, Herbert's downfield options could shrink, elevating Keenan Allen and Palmer and potentially thrusting Lambert-Smith into a larger role if healthy. The Rams opened with a physical stance that underscores the risk of early-season injuries, leaving the Chargers to recalibrate their WR rotation while Johnston’s status remains the focal point for Week 1 projections.

Quentin Johnston suffered a concussion in Saturday’s Chargers-Rams game and was transported for precautionary evaluation, triggering the NFL’s mandatory protocol. Johnston must clear concussion protocol before returning, creating immediate questions for Week 1 fantasy plans. KeAndre Lambert-Smith stepped in for Johnston but also left the game with an injury, adding to the Chargers’ WR depth uncertainty. With Johnston sidelined for now, the Chargers’ aerial attack could pivot to Lambert-Smith or other in-house options, making practice updates and protocol progress critical for fantasy managers.

In short, Johnston’s status is up in the air and Lambert-Smith’s health becomes a key variable for late-summer fantasy projections. Until the team clarifies return timelines, rostering decisions at Chargers wide receiver should hinge on the latest injury reports and concussion protocol progress rather than preseason snap counts alone.

Quentin Johnston, LA Chargers' 2023 first-rounder and a go-to deep target, left the preseason game against the Rams on the opening series after a big hit, carted off but later able to sit up. He finished last season as the team's top TD getter with eight grabs for 711 yards on 55 receptions, highlighting his big-play upside. KeAndre Lambert-Smith, a rookie, also exited with an injury, further thinning a Chargers receiving corps that already endured a rough camp and is without Rashawn Slater for the year after a torn patellar tendon. LA rolled out most starters despite health concerns on defense with Derwin James and Khalil Mack watching from the sideline. The Rams tested depth behind a lineup that keeps Herbert under center, while Johnston’s status looms large for immediate fantasy impact.

The injuries underscore how quickly a WR corps can shift in the NFL’s ongoing ladder of depth, with Johnston and Lambert-Smith as the primary names to monitor. Slater’s season-long absence leaves a palpable void on the line, salting the potential for pressure and affecting both Herbert’s timing and pass efficiency. In a preseason where top players rested, the Chargers emphasized evaluation of backups and role players, making immediate production from Johnson’s and Lambert-Smith’s replacements critical for fantasy managers in PPR formats.

Quentin Johnston leaves the field on a medical cart after a hard helmet-to-turf hit, putting his Week 1 availability in doubt and heightening Chargers fantasy risk. If Johnston sits, Ladd McConkey and Tre Harris are the cleanest next-man-up options, with Keenan Allen returning as the primary target and KeAndre Lambert-Smith flashing in the preseason. The situation tightens the Chargers’ WR depth and nudges Allen’s ceiling higher in the short term while elevating the dart-throw options behind him.

Across the league, De’Von Achane’s lower-body soft-tissue injury signals Miami may lean on backfield depth as Week 1 approaches, per McDaniel. In other headlines, Terry McLaurin is activated from PUP, Travis Hunter is listed for Jacksonville, and Anthony Richardson vs. Daniel Jones remains the Week 1 quarterback saga for the Colts and Giants. These developing rosters and injury notes could quietly shape your early-season lineups and add risk-adjusted upside to several sleepers.

Stetson Bennett spun a polished showing for the Rams, throwing for 324 yards and threading a pivotal 40-yard fourth-down connection to Brennan Presley, who tracked the ball over Rams defenders and outleaped the coverage for a key gain. The Rams flashed big-play ability and a confident pocket presence in the preseason, signaling potential for their aerial package when the starters aren’t resting. The Chargers answered with flashes from their young pass-catch corps, even as Quentin Johnston exited with a concussion early on.

KeAndre Lambert-Smith stepped in with a 29-yard completion-and-run and later a 37-yard gain, illustrating depth behind Johnston and a developing rapport with the QB. Luke Grimm delivered a highlight with a 65-yard punt return for the Chargers, underscoring his speed and potential as a return man and role player. Rookie Tre Harris seized the moment with six catches for 85 yards, a breakout in this game that raised his profile in camp. Defensively, TeRah Edwards made a big impression with an interception and a memorable late collision at the boundary, while Justin Herbert logged his first preseason action of 2025 and Trey Lance continued to shine with a series of productive plays, including a 12-yard connection to Harris and a 37-yard gain early in his involvement.

Overall, the matchup offered a blend of evaluating depth and prompting fantasy consideration: Presley and Lambert-Smith flashed upside for the Rams and Chargers respectively, while the ongoing QB cues from Herbert and Lance keep a keen eye on the Chargers’ quarterback depth chart. The health note on Johnston looms over the Chargers’ WR pipeline, but the game still delivered multiple bright spots for fantasy managers to monitor as rosters shake out.