With fantasy drafts getting underway, managers are doing their homework on various NFL players and cramming for draft day. That means getting caught up on the latest injury news, including what happened to Los Angeles Chargers quarterback Justin Herbert. What’s the latest on Herbert’s health, and should you still draft him?
The Latest on Justin Herbert’s Health
On Aug. 1, the Chargers announced that Herbert picked up a plantar fascia injury to his right foot during training camp.
Herbert was only expected to miss two-to-three weeks and no regular-season time.
Fortunately, this timeline ended up being accurate, as Herbert returned to practice and the Chargers released QB Max Duggan.
Justin Herbert’s Fantasy Outlook
After showcasing league-winning potential over his first seasons under center for the Chargers to start his NFL career, Justin Herbert has finished outside of the top 10 at the QB position over his last two seasons.
Herbert posted career lows across the board in 2023 with just 3,134 passing yards and 20 touchdowns, missing the final four games of the regular season after picking up a hand injury in Week 14 against the Denver Broncos.
Further complicating his fantasy outlook in 2024 were losses of multiple productive pass-catchers from this offense with Jim Harbaugh taking over as head coach. Keenan Allen, Mike Willams, Austin Ekeler, and Gerald Everett have all moved on. Also, the Chargers are shifting to a run-heavy scheme under new offensive coordinator Greg Roman.
The Chargers lost 229 receptions and 2,339 receiving yards with the departure of key players. The team is relying on younger, less proven players like Ladd McConkey, Quentin Johnston, Hayden Hurst, and Joshua Palmer to step up and fill the void.
Yet, PFN’s fantasy analyst Derek Tate is still a firm believer in Herbert, calling him “one of the best young quarterbacks in the league” and pointing to Harbaugh’s “excellent track record of success everywhere he goes.”
There are certainly reasons to be concerned about Herbert as a fantasy QB this season, but Tate still believes that 4,300 yards and 30 touchdown passes are within his range of outcomes this year.
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