Ladd McConkey (back) suddenly questionable in Wk 9

McConkey reportedly experienced back spasms during pre-game warmups. The Chargers kept that info under wraps until their first drive was underway, following an opening-drive touchdown by the Texans. We aren’t exactly sure how the Chargers were allowed to do this, but they did it, and fantasy managers who started him are stuck with 0.0 points in the box score. If he can face the Ravens next week, he will be a WR3/FLEX.

McConkey was fully back from various injuries that kept him sidelined for much of the season’s first month and a half. He led the Chargers in all receiving categories, and had the team’s biggest play of the game — a 54-yard gain on a nicely thrown ball from Justin Herbert. McConkey will have a solid matchup in Week 9 against a struggling Houston secondary and should remain in 12-team league lineups. It remains to be seen whether he has any sort of ceiling in a pitiful LA offense.

McConkey’s concussion was always unlikely to hold him out for Week 8 with the team coming off their bye, with Friday’s injury report confirming that notion. The Chargers have under-performed offensive expectations more than any team through their first six games, leaving McConkey in the FLEX range for Week 8, a far cry from the WR2 range he was drafted in this offseason.

Harris missed Week 6 before the team’s Week 7 bye but could be held out for an additional week given the nature of his injury. Fantasy managers will want to confirm his status on the team’s final injury report Friday to gauge the viability of entering him back into lineups for Week 8. Fellow wide receiver Ladd McConkey (concussion) got in his second consecutive full session and should be good to go for Week 8.

The Chargers’ No. 1 wide receiver could resume practicing in full today, after recovering during the team’s Week 7 bye. If McConkey is limited, an update will be provided. Exactly one week ago, The Athletic’s Noah Furtado reported that the Chargers will try to “simplify” the team’s offense in the coming weeks. They face an underperforming Rams defense in Week 8 and could (maybe) generate a bounce-back performance.

Justin Herbert and the flailing Chargers skill position players have appeared almost comically confused about all the pre-snap motion OC Mike McDaniel uses. That came through in the team’s embarrassing Week 6 loss to the Chiefs when players were bumping into each other during pre-snap motion calls from Herbert. Head coach Jim Harbaugh acknowledged the team is considering narrowing the offensive playbook during their bye week. “Definitely looking at volume and where you can make it to where the players can understand,” Harbaugh said when asked about how Chargers players were adjusting to McDaniel’s complex offense. The Chargers have used pre-snap motion on 74 percent of their snaps, the fourth highest rate in the NFL. Last year they used motion on 56 percent of their snaps. Hopefully these adjustments lead to some production for the NFL’s worst offense.

McConkey exited the game after a 17-yard reception in the first quarter and was seen entering the blue medical tent before being helped to the locker room. The quickness with which he was ruled out could mean the injury is on the severe side. The Chargers are down to their fifth and sixth wideouts on the depth chart. Justin Herbert likely won’t be fantasy relevant for the rest of the season.

Chargers coach Jim Harbaugh said he did not know if McConkey or Quentin Johnston would be on snap counts on Sunday. Cool. What we do know is that the Chargers desperately need a win and McConkey is their best receiver, so the incentives are certainly aligned to get McConkey into the fantasy WR3 discussion even with a pitch count.

McConkey is on track to once again be active on game day, but it is unclear how involved he will be. Two limited sessions are a good sign, but it would be great to see him practice fully tomorrow. In that instance, starting him as a WR2 would be far more palatable.

We, in turn, expect McConkey to be listed as a limited participant. An update will be provided if he practices in full. The Chargers’ No. 1 wide receiver was an emergency active last week, goose-egging in the box score. His early-week return to practice puts him on track to play in Week 6 against the Chiefs, but it would be great to see him practice in full by the end of the week.