The Los Angeles Chargers prepare for their Week 14 Monday Night Football showdown against the Philadelphia Eagles following a convincing victory over the Las Vegas Raiders. Justin Herbert left last week’s game with a hand injury that required surgery. Will fantasy football managers have their quarterback available for the primetime matchup?
Justin Herbert Injury Update
Herbert left Sunday’s game in the first quarter after taking a hard hit from Raiders safety Jeremy Chinn on a scramble. His left hand appeared to collide with Chinn’s helmet during the tackle. Herbert went to the locker room for evaluation and missed nine plays while trainers applied a hard cast and glove to his hand.​
He was able to return and finished the game. Herbert played the remainder of the contest exclusively from the shotgun, avoiding under center formations to protect the injured hand.​
The injury was revealed to be a fracture in his left hand. Herbert underwent successful surgery Monday in Los Angeles to stabilize the fracture. The team announced that he is considered day-to-day, and his status for Monday’s game against Philadelphia will be determined later in the week.​
The belief is that Herbert can play through the injury. Dr. David Chao offered a very encouraging assessment, stating that Herbert’s hand will be even more secure following surgery than when he played through the injury last week. Chao noted that Herbert is “as tough as they come” and expects him to play.​
Ian Rapoport reported that Herbert intends to play in Week 14 against the Eagles. Herbert himself told reporters after Sunday’s game that he was preparing like he would be playing. The quarterback’s determination to suit up aligns with his reputation for toughness.​
Herbert is very fortunate this injury is to his left hand rather than his right hand. According to medical experts, the fracture involves one of Herbert’s metacarpal bones located between the wrist and fingers. While the bone will not be fully healed immediately, players can return sooner by utilizing a combination of stabilizing surgery and an external splint.​
Herbert will wear a protective device on the injured hand if cleared to play. The extra day of recovery provided by the Monday night kickoff works in his favor compared to a typical Sunday game.​
Expect Herbert to be limited at practice this week, but all signs point to him not missing a game. He is very likely to play against Philadelphia barring any setbacks during the week.
Herbert’s Fantasy Outlook
Herbert has been underwhelming in fantasy for most of the season. He posted an elite three-game stretch from Weeks 7-9 with at least 26 fantasy points in each contest. Otherwise, he has not recorded a single game over 20 points outside of that window. Herbert has not hit 15 fantasy points since Week 9.
The production has been disappointing for managers who drafted him expecting QB1 numbers on a weekly basis. His inconsistency makes him difficult to trust in fantasy lineups.
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The matchup Monday night against Philadelphia presents a tough challenge. The Eagles defense allows the fourth-fewest schedule-adjusted fantasy points per game to quarterbacks. Their pass rush and secondary have been formidable throughout the season, creating a difficult environment for opposing signal-callers.
Even if Herbert plays, the combination of the hand injury, protective device, and elite defense makes him a risky fantasy option for Week 14. Managers with better alternatives should probably look elsewhere.
For those forced to start Herbert due to roster construction, the extra preparation time from Thursday through Monday could help. But the floor appears dangerously low given the matchup and injury concerns.
