Who Should I Start? Joe Burrow or Justin Herbert

Thursday, October 16, 9:05 PM

Cincinnati Bengals quarterback Joe Burrow (toe), who suffered a serious turf-toe injury back in Week 2, is on track to return from Injured Reserve in mid-December, according to Ian Rapoport of NFL Network. Burrow is a month into a three-month recovery after having surgery for a Grade 3 turf-toe injury. Burrow has been doing well in his rehab and has not had any setbacks, which means he's still in play to return at the tail end of the regular season if the Bengals still have something to play for. He has told people he has every intention of playing again this year, but he just needs Cincinnati to stay in the hunt in the meantime. The 28-year-old isn't guaranteed to be in play for the fantasy playoffs, so managers shouldn't feel obligated to hold onto him in redraft leagues. Jake Browning struggled with turnovers (eight picks in four games) after replacing Burrow, leading Cincy to trade for veteran Joe Flacco to try and keep the team's playoff hopes alive.

Friday, October 31, 5:03 PM

Los Angeles Chargers quarterback Justin Herbert is coming off a highly efficient performance, completing 18 of 25 passes for 227 yards and three touchdowns in a dominant win over the Minnesota Vikings. This week, he faces a struggling Tennessee Titans defense that is ranked 26th overall in yards allowed. While this matchup is very favorable, the Chargers are heavy 9.5-point favorites and may lean more on their rushing game, especially since the Titans will be missing key defensive lineman Jeffery Simmons (hamstring). Herbert remains a solid QB1, but fantasy managers should temper their expectations for a heavy passing day. Additionally, with offensive guard Mekhi Becton (knee) listed as questionable, the Bolts might adopt a more methodical ground-and-pound approach. RotoBaller projects Herbert to be QB6, which gives him a strong floor as a mid-range QB1.