Los Angeles Chargers head coach Jim Harbaugh said that quarterback Justin Herbert and the rest of the starters will not play in the preseason finale on Saturday against the San Francisco 49ers. Backup QB Trey Lance will get the start under center and will play one to two series. Taylor Heinicke will come in after Lance, followed by DJ Uiagalelei, who will play the rest of the game. Lance and Heinicke are competing for the No. 2 job this summer, although it's unclear if Lance has the leg up based on the fact that he's making the start in the preseason finale. Neither Lance nor Heinicke figure to be on the field much behind Herbert, who has been one of the toughest QBs in the league since entering the NFL in 2020. Herbert missed four games due to injury in 2023 but has started all 79 of the games he's appeared in over the last five seasons.
Aug 21, 2025 6:51 PM EST
Los Angeles Chargers quarterback Justin Herbert will play in his first career preseason game on Saturday against the Los Angeles Rams. Head coach John Harbaugh said the plan is for offensive and defensive starters, and Herbert will play "a series or two." While Herbert is viewed by many as one of the top quarterbacks in the NFL, his fantasy floor and ceiling took hits last season in Greg Roman's run-first offense. After throwing for at least 4,336 yards in the first three seasons of his career, the Oregon product tallied just 3,870 passing yards in 17 games a season ago. While he has a ton of upside in shootout game conditions, Harbaugh and Roman are unlikely to transition into a high-flying passing attack.
Aug 14, 2025 3:37 PM EST
Los Angeles Chargers quarterback Justin Herbert won't play during Sunday's second preseason game against the New Orleans Saints on Sunday. Taylor Heinicke will get the starting nod for this contest. Trey Lance started during the Hall of Fame game last week. The two of them are competing for the backup gig behind Herbert to begin the season. It's unclear if Herbert is going to play at all during the preseason. At the moment, Herbert should be considered a fringe top-10 fantasy quarterback.
Aug 8, 2025 4:27 PM EST
Los Angeles Chargers quarterback Justin Herbert is studying Josh Allen's play style and is looking to create more plays this season. As per the Dan Patrick Show, Herbert mentioned, "What I respect about him [Josh Allen] is he's able to run power between the tackles. He's able to take the hits and deliver the hits." It sounds like Justin Herbert is aspiring to be a more physical runner after taking a career-high 69 rushing attempts last season. With a body similar to Allen's at 6-foot-6 and 236 lbs., this could be a realistic approach to increase his production. Herbert running more would only boost his fantasy value and comes in at QB17 in the latest RotoBaller draft rankings.
Jul 31, 2025 7:43 PM EST
The Athletic's Daniel Popper writes that Los Angeles Chargers wide receiver Ladd McConkey's chemistry with quarterback Justin Herbert continues to blossom in Year 2 and described it as a "seemingly telepathic connection." McConkey knows when to sit down on routes against certain defensive looks, when to manipulate defensive leverages and when to expect the ball from Herbert on either shoulder. Head coach Jim Harbaugh said this week that McConkey "is uncoverable right now by one guy." For the 23-year-old Georgia product to really thrive, he needs one of Quentin Johnston or rookies Tre Harris and Keandre Lambert-Smith to threaten defenses deep down the field. McConkey was a stud in his first year in the NFL, catching 82 of his 112 targets for 1,149 yards and seven touchdowns. Despite being in a run-first offense, he's a low-end WR1/high-end WR2 in fantasy.
Jul 24, 2025 5:55 PM EST
Los Angeles Chargers quarterback Justin Herbert is off to a strong start at training camp on the first day of practice on Thursday, according to Chargers.com's Eric Smith. Herbert connected with receiver Jalen Reagor on a 50-yard touchdown in 11-on-11 work. The 27-year-old was also sharp during 7-on-7 drills, finding rookie wideout Keandre Lambert-Smith for a 10-yard touchdown in the back of the end zone. It's obviously very early this summer, but Herbert appears to be in midseason form throwing the football. Big wideout Mike Williams announced his plans to retire on Thursday, so Ladd McConkey, Quentin Johnston and second-round rookie Tre Harris figures to be Herbert's primary aerial targets in 2025. Outside of McConkey, Herbert doesn't have a whole lot to work with in what should once again be a run-first offense. Target him as a QB2 in fantasy.
Jul 17, 2025 7:06 PM EST
Los Angeles Chargers quarterback Justin Herbert had the worst game of his career at a very inopportune time, losing 32-12 to the Texans in the first round of the playoffs. Herbert attempted 32 passes, completing just 14 for 242 yards, one touchdown, and four interceptions. He was also sacked four times, losing 31 yards. Herbert threw three interceptions all season. In 17 regular season games, he threw three interceptions. In one playoff game, he threw four. Herbert got no help from anyone besides Ladd McConkey, but it was still a rough performance from Herbert, who is still looking for his first playoff win.
Jan 11, 2025 11:25 PM EST
Los Angeles Chargers quarterback Justin Herbert could find himself missing some key weapons in the Wild Card Round against the Houston Texans. The Chargers have listed starting wide receiver Quentin Johnston (thigh/illness) and starting running back J.K. Dobbins (ankle) as questionable for Saturday's game. Both have been critical parts of the Chargers offense this season, but Herbert could find himself with Gus Edwards in the backfield and essentially only Ladd McConkey catching passes. Still, Herbert finished the season off well, putting up top-10 fantasy performances at his position for the past three weeks in a row. He's a strong option for playoff leagues made stronger if "QJ" and Dobbins are able to suit up.
Jan 9, 2025 9:21 PM EST
Los Angeles Chargers quarterback Justin Herbert had a big game to close out the regular season in a Week 18 win over the Las Vegas Raiders. Herbert completed 28 of his 36 pass attempts for 346 yards and two touchdowns. He also added 42 yards on the ground on four carries. Herbert had a long run of 41 yards that almost ended in a touchdown but was able to make one of his two touchdown passes right after to score the six points. That touchdown went to Will Dissly, and his other one went to D.J. Chark. Herbert took only one sack, losing 10 yards on the play. He and the Bolts will face the Texans on Saturday in the Wild Card Round.
Jan 5, 2025 10:45 PM EST
Los Angeles Chargers quarterback Justin Herbert is potentially a strong fantasy option in Week 18 against the Las Vegas Raiders. The Chargers will either be locked into the No. 6 seed or have a chance at the No. 5 seed in the final game of the regular season, depending on the results of Saturday's games. If the Bolts have a chance to better their playoff position, Herbert will certainly play and should be a top-10 option at the position against a Raiders defense with nothing to play for. Fantasy managers should have a backup option available, however, as Herbert and other Chargers starters could sit out if the team is locked into the sixth seed, which would give the start to backup quarterback Taylor Heinicke. Chargers coach Jim Harbaugh said he'd "do what's best for the team" when asked about whether starters would play.
Jan 3, 2025 7:46 PM EST
Los Angeles Chargers head coach Jim Harbaugh wouldn't commit on Monday to whether the starters will play this Sunday in the Week 18 regular-season finale against the division-rival Las Vegas Raiders. If the Pittsburgh Steelers win on Saturday against the division-rival Cincinnati Bengals, the Chargers would be locked into the No. 6 seed and would face either the Baltimore Ravens or the Steelers in the wild-card round. However, if the Steelers lose on Saturday, the Bolts would have a chance to move up to the No. 5 seed with a win over the Raiders. The fifth seed in the AFC will travel to face the Houston Texans on wild-card weekend. "We'd love to be the fifth seed," Harbaugh said. The decision on whether to play quarterback Justin Herbert and the rest of the starters this weekend will all come down to whether LA has a chance to move into the No. 5 seed.
Dec 30, 2024 7:53 PM EST
Los Angeles Chargers quarterback Justin Herbert threw three touchdowns in a Week 17 blowout win over the New England Patriots. Herbert completed 26 of his 38 passes for 281 yards and the three scores without turning the ball over. Two of Herbert's touchdowns went to rookie receiver Ladd McConkey and the other went to Derius Davis. Herbert also added 12 yards on the ground on three carries, and he did not take a sack. It was an impressive performance in the 40-7 win that clinched a playoff spot for the Bolts.
Dec 28, 2024 6:09 PM EST
Los Angeles Chargers quarterback Justin Herbert has a good matchup against the New England Patriots defense in Week 17. The Bolts and Pats will play on Saturday afternoon in New England, where Herbert will look to build on his overall QB7 against the Broncos in Week 16. Herbert looked much healthier last week, showing much more mobility on his injured ankle. He did not appear on the injury report at all heading into this game, his first time totally off the report in weeks. With running backs Gus Edwards (ankle) out and J.K. Dobbins (knee) questionable at best, the Chargers may need to rely on the passing game even though they are favored in this game. Herbert has a nice ceiling in this one and a fairly high floor as well.
Dec 26, 2024 7:00 PM EST
Los Angeles Chargers quarterback Justin Herbert played well in a 34-27 win over the Denver Broncos in Week 16. Herbert was decent in the first half and then really turned it on in the second half. In total, he completed 23 of his 31 passes for 284 yards, two touchdowns, and one interception. Herbert also added 28 yards on the ground on eight carries despite clearly not being 100% with his wrapped up ankle. Herbert completed passes to 10 different receivers and threw his touchdowns to Hassan Haskins and Derius Davis. The Chargers will have a little extra time to rest and heal and will take on the New England Patriots in Week 17.
Dec 19, 2024 11:27 PM EST
Los Angeles Chargers quarterback Justin Herbert has been removed from the injury report for Week 16 and is good to go for a Thursday Night Football game against the division-rival Denver Broncos. Despite an ankle injury that was clearly affecting his play in Week 15 and kept him limited in practice all week until Wednesday, Herbert will go into the game without an injury designation. He's been far less mobile due to the injury, but he still played well in terms of things he could control against Tampa Bay last week. The Broncos defense is tough against opposing quarterbacks, so Herbert's ceiling is limited by both his ankle and his opponent. Still, he'll likely need to lead the offense with his arm since the Bolts backfield hasn't done much of anything in the run game. Herbert is a safe QB2 option with some possible upside in what should be a close game.
Dec 18, 2024 4:30 PM EST
Los Angeles Chargers quarterback Justin Herbert (ankle) remained a limited participant during Tuesday's practice session. This is now back-to-back limited practice sessions for Herbert with a matchup against the Denver Broncos on Thursday. Herbert has been banged up since suffering an ankle injury in Week 14. Despite that, Herbert played on Sunday and is expected to suit up in Week 16 as well. The 26-year-old clearly isn't 100 percent healthy right now and has a short week against a strong secondary. Fantasy managers shouldn't expect Herbert to be much more than a QB2 for Week 16.
Dec 17, 2024 10:00 PM EST
Los Angeles Chargers quarterback Justin Herbert (ankle) was listed as a limited participant on Monday's estimated injury report. Herbert is dealing with an ankle issue, but was able to play through it during Sunday's loss to the Tampa Bay Buccaneers. He looked fine in the pocket, but the ankle issue clearly limited his running ability considering he had zero carries on Sunday. Nonetheless, Herbert figures to be fine for Thursday's Week 16 matchup against the Denver Broncos. The Chargers might limit Herbert in order to keep him fresh, but he should be out there unless he suffers a setback.
Dec 16, 2024 9:21 PM EST
Los Angeles Chargers quarterback Justin Herbert got off to a decent start in Week 15 but struggled throughout the second half in what ended up as a 40-17 loss. Herbert was clearly struggling with his ankle injury despite being removed from the official injury report. He was much less mobile in the pocket and did not record a single rushing attempt. In total, he attempted 33 passes, completing 21 of them for 195 yards, two touchdowns, and one interception. The pick was only his second of the year, and could have been avoided if the intended target Quentin Johnston had actually tried to catch the football. Herbert took three sacks and will likely miss practice time this week in hopes of his ankle healing before a quick turnaround for a Thursday Night Football game against the division-rival Denver Broncos. Fantasy managers should definitely keep an eye on Chargers practice reports this week, as backup Taylor Heinicke took the last drive and would be next in line.
Dec 15, 2024 9:20 PM EST
Los Angeles Chargers quarterback Justin Herbert (ankle, thigh) practiced in full on Friday and was removed from the injury report ahead of a Week 15 game against the Tampa Bay Bucs. Herbert was listed with ankle and thigh injuries throughout the week, starting with a DNP on Wednesday and a limited practice on Thursday. A full practice on Friday got him off the injury report, though. Facing a Bucs defense that is in the top-10 in fantasy points allowed to opposing quarterbacks, Herbert is a solid lower-end QB1 option with some upside. Herbert's upside will be directly related to whether or not rookie wide receiver Ladd McConkey (knee, shoulder) is able to play.
Dec 13, 2024 6:08 PM EST
Los Angeles Chargers quarterback Justin Herbert (ankle/thigh) returned to practice on Thursday, according to Daniel Popper of The Athletic. Herbert was unable to practice on Wednesday, and seeing him back on the field just one day later is a positive sign for his availability over the weekend. Fantasy managers should pay close attention to his status on the injury report later on Thursday in case he was only able to log a limited session. Herbert sustained these injuries during last weekend's loss to the Kansas City Chiefs. In this game, Herbert tallied only 213 yards and a score. However, in his previous six contests, the Oregon product has averaged a solid 21.2 PPR points per game and tallied nine total scores during this span. If Herbert can suit up this weekend, he should be viewed as a solid QB1 facing a weak Tampa Bay secondary that has allowed the most PPR points to opposing QBs this season.
Dec 12, 2024 4:13 PM EST
Copyright 2025 Fantasy Football Calculator | Image Source: Icon Sportswire. Not affiliated with the National Football League (NFL).
Stats powered by FantasyData.com.
