Justin Herbert enters the 2026 fantasy football season with one of the most explosive upside profiles at the quarterback position. While he is often viewed primarily as a pocket passer, his rushing potential doesn’t get nearly enough attention in fantasy circles. In 2025, Herbert posted a league-high seven games with at least 225 passing yards and 30 rushing yards, stat lines that don’t happen by accident.
Should I Draft Justin Herbert in Fantasy Football?
The ceiling rises even further with Mike McDaniel taking over as offensive coordinator in Los Angeles. Look no further than Tua Tagovailoa’s 2023 campaign under McDaniel to see what this system does for passing efficiency. We now know that Tagovailoa is little more than average by NFL standards, but in this system, he had a season where he led the league in passing and ranked second in YPA.
Herbert’s completion percentage has already improved in each of the past two seasons, and bringing in McDaniel with his distinct focus on a quick release and elite footwork should unlock a whole new level of timing and accuracy.
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I’m not sure he needed a skill set expansion to elevate in the fantasy world, but I think he gets it and that makes him a steal at cost.
When combining his arm talent with upgraded mechanics and dual-threat production, we could be looking at peak Aaron Rodgers in terms of a fantasy profile. If he threw for 4,500 yards, ran for another 500, and accounted for 40 touchdowns by rush or pass, would you really be surprised?
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I wouldn’t be. If we are looking back in five months and there ends up being a cheat code in fantasy, a player who was just a crazy buy at the price that the market settled on, Herbert is on my short list of favorites.
This is a player trending up who has athleticism and gets a significant projected bump in play-calling. If any of his pass catchers play above expectations, we could be looking at a peak Aaron Rodgers type of season that has Herbert holding the MVP trophy.
Kyle Soppe’s QB Fantasy Rankings 2026
- Josh Allen | BUF
- Drake Maye | NE
- Joe Burrow | CIN
- Lamar Jackson | BAL
- Jayden Daniels | WAS
- Caleb Williams | CHI
- Justin Herbert | LAC
- Jalen Hurts | PHI
- Jaxson Dart | NYG
- Trevor Lawrence | JAX
- Dak Prescott | DAL
- Bo Nix | DEN
- Patrick Mahomes II | KC
- Brock Purdy | SF
- Matthew Stafford | LAR
- Jared Goff | DET
- Kyler Murray | MIN
- Jordan Love | GB
- Baker Mayfield | TB
- Tyler Shough | NO
- Malik Willis | MIA
- Daniel Jones | IND
- C.J. Stroud | HOU
- Sam Darnold | SEA
- Bryce Young | CAR
- Jacoby Brissett | ARI
- Cam Ward | TEN
- Aaron Rodgers | PIT
- Fernando Mendoza | LV
- Justin Fields | KC
- Kirk Cousins | LV
- Geno Smith | NYJ
