#156 overall · LAC · 103.2 projected half-PPR pts · -25.8 Draft Value
Los Angeles Chargers — 2026 Fantasy Outlook
The case for drafting him
The Chargers defense has been one of the more consistent sack-generating units in recent memory, posting 48, 45, and 45 sacks across the 2023–2025 seasons — a three-year average of 46. The interception column has actually improved each year: 9 in 2023, 15 in 2024, 19 in 2025, landing at a 14.3 average over the window. Points allowed dropped sharply from 398 in 2023 to 301 in 2024 before settling at 340 in 2025. That combination of pass-rush consistency and a rising takeaway rate gives this unit a real floor in half-PPR DST scoring. A bye in Week 7 is manageable and leaves the unit available for the bulk of the fantasy season.
What the model projects
The projection is 103.2 half-PPR fantasy points for the 2026 season. That places the Chargers DST at DST20 and #156 overall, sitting in Tier 9. The draft value is -25.8, meaning the projection lands below the replacement-level baseline for the DST position in a standard 12-team half-PPR format.
| INT | Sacks | FF | FR | TD | Saf | PA | Half-PPR | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2023 | 9 | 48 | 15 | 12 | 1 | — | 398 | 111.0 |
| 2024 | 15 | 45 | 8 | 6 | 1 | — | 301 | 101.0 |
| 2025 | 19 | 45 | 10 | 4 | — | 1 | 340 | 103.0 |
| 3-yr avg | 14.3 | 46 | 11 | 7.3 | 0.7 | 0.3 | 346.3 | 105.0 |
The range of outcomes
The three-year history illustrates how wide DST variance can run. Sacks have been stable — 45 to 48 — but fumble recoveries swung from 12 in 2023 down to 4 in 2025, a category that is notoriously difficult to sustain. Interceptions moved in the opposite direction, climbing steadily to 19 last season. Defensive touchdowns have been scarce, averaging 0.7 per year over the three-season window with just one in each of 2023 and 2024 and none recorded in 2025. The unit added a safety in 2025, a low-frequency event that can provide a small scoring bump in any given year. The combination of a reliable sack rate and a volatile turnover floor means outcomes can shift meaningfully from the 103.2 projection depending on which version of the takeaway unit shows up.
How to draft him
With no market ADP available, this unit is not being drafted consistently enough across platforms to carry a reliable pick number. At DST20 and #156 overall with a negative draft value, the Chargers DST profiles as a late-round or post-draft-pool option — the kind of unit you roster only after your starting lineup is set. The sack consistency and improving interception trend are genuine, but the projection sitting below replacement level means the opportunity cost of a pick is real. Target this unit only if you need a streaming option or a handcuff for your bye week at the position, and keep the Week 7 bye in mind when setting your lineup.
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Questions drafters ask
The projection is 103.2 half-PPR points, and the draft value is -25.8 — below the replacement-level baseline for the DST position. At DST20 and #156 overall in Tier 9, the unit does not project as a must-draft asset. There is no market ADP available, which itself signals the unit is not being consistently targeted in public drafts.
Remarkably consistent: 48 sacks in 2023, 45 in 2024, and 45 in 2025, for a three-year average of 46. That is one of the more stable sack totals you will find in the historical record for this unit.
Interceptions have improved every year — 9 in 2023, 15 in 2024, 19 in 2025 — averaging 14.3 over the three-year window. Fumble recoveries, however, have moved in the opposite direction: 12 in 2023, 6 in 2024, and just 4 in 2025, averaging 7.3. Fumble recoveries are a volatile category, so the recent downward trend is worth noting.
The Chargers are on bye in Week 7. It is a mid-season week that requires a one-week replacement but does not significantly limit the unit's availability across the full fantasy calendar.