Determining the Best Fantasy Football Pass Catchers on Teams Lacking Stars: Romeo Doubs, Ladd McConkey and More

We just checked in on some convoluted fantasy football backfields around the NFL. Now I want to discuss several teams where several pass catchers could factor in any week.

We'll go over the 49ers, Packers, Chargers, Chiefs and Bills today.

Check out fantasy football leaders all season on FantasySP!

49ers Pass Catchers

Injuries have created a messy situation for the Niners. Brandon Aiyuk and George Kittle's absences have opened opportunities for Ricky Pearsall, Jauan Jennings and Jake Tonges, while recent injuries to Pearsall and Jennings threw Kendrick Bourne and Demarcus Robinson into the mix.

Pearsall has been the top fantasy option most of the season, but a couple scores of late has Tonges as the top fantasy pass catcher in San Fran (like we all expected). Bourne had a monster showing without Jennings or Pearsall around, so he's actually ahead of Jennings as a fantasy producer already.

Everything here depends on health. Jennings and Pearsall didn't practice on Wednesday, so Bourne and Tonges could again lead the pass catchers in week 6, regardless of which quarterback is throwing to them. 

Kittle is expected back in the next couple weeks, at which time Tonges will likely fade out of the fantasy picture, so utilize him while you can. Bourne is definitely one to consider in all leagues if Jennings and Pearsall cannot go - I'd take either of the injured wideouts over Bourne, and skip Bourne if both guys are back this week.

The matchup for the Niners' receivers against the Buccaneers this week is pretty average, while Tonges will have an above-average test. Get Tonges in those lineups, while monitoring the status of the wideouts to see who might start - in order, I'd take Pearsall, then Jennings, then Bourne.

Packers Pass Catchers

No pass catcher has stepped into the lead role through four weeks (Green Bay was off in week 5).

Romeo Doubs is the top fantasy asset, but four touchdowns is really propping him up. Tucker Kraft has emerged as a pretty good fantasy tight end, but has been inconsistent. Matthew Golden hasn't gotten rolling yet, and Dontayvion Wicks hasn't taken advantage of things with Jayden Reed and Christian Watson out.

Reed is still out for a while, but Watson has begun practicing, so things could get even more complicated when he's back.

Over the past two games, Golden and Doubs have 10 targets each, while Kraft has nine and Wicks eight. If that isn't a messed up fantasy pass catcher group, I don't know what is.

Kraft is the best starting option, but that's because he's at a weaker tight end position. Doubs and Golden are starting in a similar amount of leagues, with Doubs the better option in my eyes because of his knack of finding the end zone. Wicks is just a deep-league asset, and only until Watson or Reed return.

The Packers' receivers have an above-average matchup against the Bengals this week, while Kraft has the best matchup a tight end could have. Kraft should be starting in all leagues as a result, while Doubs, then Golden are flex options depending on your other options. Wicks is again only a deep-league option.

If Watson is back, you can skip Wicks for good, then probably knock Doubs and Golden down a few pegs. Doubs, Golden and Watson would all be better deep-league options because there's no clear leader between the three.

Chargers Pass Catchers

For now, wide receivers are the only ones worth discussing in the LA pass catcher group. Oronde Gadsden and Tyler Conklin are tight ends to monitor, but given the options at receiver, it seems unlikely that either tight end would consistently deliver enough.

Quentin Johnston has been the best pass catcher among the three wide receivers. Keenan Allen is next, while presumed No. 1 guy Ladd McConkey has been the third-best fantasy asset so far.

Johnston has played 285 snaps, catching 26 of his 41 targets for 377 yards and four scores. Allen is at 289 yards and three scores over 29 receptions and 44 targets in his 216 snaps played. McConkey has 213 yards and a touchdown on 21 catches and 34 targets over his 289 snaps played.

The week 6 matchup against the Dolphins is pretty favorable, so I'm willing to start any of those three receivers in standard leagues. I still like Johnston the best of the bunch, and think he should be starting in most fantasy leagues. Allen and McConkey are closer to the flex-level line, but probably in better spots for week 6, so I'd be starting them both.

All three Charger receivers need to be starting in deeper leagues.

Chiefs Pass Catchers

An early-season injury to Xavier Worthy threw things out of whack for  the Chiefs. Add in the impending insertion of Rashee Rice and things are about to get really messy in KC.

The top fantasy pass catcher has been Tyquan Thornton, as we all suspected of course. Travis Kelce and Marquise Brown have put up a similar amount of points, while JuJu Smith-Schuster has been a bit involved. Worthy has been solid in his two full games.

Worthy is the best fantasy wideout of the bunch, but still might have inconsistent showings with so many other options out there. Rice's presence won't help his cause.

Kelce is a good fantasy option being a tight end. Brown is the next-most owned before Thornton and Smith-Schuster are just barely owned.

Last week, Kelce was the top fantasy pass catcher, but that's mostly because he scored. Thornton was the next most valuable, but had just three catches. Worthy was fine in PPR formats, but nothing special, while Brown had a similar outing. Smith-Schuster was barely involved.

Kelce has a tougher test against the Lions, while the receivers have a pretty favorable matchup coming.

Kelce should be starting, as he's one of the better fantasy tight ends out there. Don't be surprised if he has average-or-worse numbers though.

As for the receivers, I like them in this order: Worthy, Thornton, Brown and Smith-Schuster. I only see Worthy being worth standard league starts, while everyone else is just a deep-league option. I like the big-play ability of Thornton, and that's why I'd take him after Worthy and before Brown. Brown is a fine deep-league option, while I'd skip Smith-Schuster.

I have a feeling we'll be covering the Chiefs' pass catchers repeatedly this season, so if you want to rid yourself of the headache, avoid rostering these guys.

Bills Pass Catchers

Wideouts Khalil Shakir, Keon Coleman and Joshua Palmer and tight end Dalton Kincaid all have between 18-29 targets for Buffalo, and the fantasy production is all pretty tight too.

Kincaid has the best marks, with three touchdowns helping him past Shakir and Coleman. Palmer doesn't have any scores, so he falls a ways behind the others as a result.

Shakir has played 213 snaps, catching 22 of his 29 targets for 235 yards and two scores. Coleman is at 226 yards and two scores on 21 catches and 29 targets. 

Kincaid has 287 yards and three touchdowns across 20 catches and 24 targets. He's played 171 snaps.

Palmer is at 167 snaps so far. He's caught 12 of his 18 targets for 174 yards and no touchdowns.

Buffalo has the Falcons in week 6. It's a very tough matchup on the wide receivers, while being the toughest test possible for Kincaid.

Having Josh Allen at quarterback means Shakir, Coleman and Kincaid will get plenty of fantasy starts still. Kincaid is the best option, despite the brutal matchup, but that's because he's a tight end.

I prefer Shakir over Coleman at receiver, although it's been more of a coin flip all season. Palmer can be a deep-league option in the right matchups, but this isn't one of them. I have Shakir and Coleman as standard league flex options, but better deep-league starting options in this tough matchup.