Who Should I Start? Justin Herbert or Michael Penix Jr.
Week 9 Projections
| Fant. Pts. |
Rush. Yds. |
Rush TD |
Rec. | Rec. Yds. |
Rec TD |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 20.1 | 23.0 | 0.1 | 0.0 | 0.0 | 0.0 |
Justin Herbert News
Sunday, November 8, 3:21 PM
Los Angeles Chargers quarterback Justin Herbert (finger) exited a 44-22 loss in the fourth quarter with a left middle finger injury and did not return. According to Alex Insdorf of the Guilty As Charged Podcast, L.A. head coach Jim Harbaugh said after the contest that Herbert wanted to reenter the game, but Harbaugh made the decision to keep him on the sideline. The exact extent of the injury isn't known yet, but Harbaugh noted that it could potentially be a fracture. However, Insdorf also reported that Herbert said in his postgame remarks, "I'll do whatever I can to make sure I'm 100%," and that Herbert does not expect it to be an issue moving forward. Herbert completed 13 out of 23 passes for 193 yards, one touchdown and one interception against the Texans. DJ Uiagalelei entered the game at quarterback for the Chargers while Herbert was out, and he will likely be in line to start if Herbert is forced to miss time. With the loss to the Texans, the Chargers fell to 0-8 in the 2026 season.
Week 9 Projections
| Fant. Pts. |
Rush. Yds. |
Rush TD |
Rec. | Rec. Yds. |
Rec TD |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 22.5 | 10.4 | 0.1 | 0.0 | 0.0 | 0.0 |
Michael Penix Jr. News
Sunday, November 8, 6:10 PM
Atlanta Falcons quarterback Michael Penix Jr. completed 20 of his 31 pass attempts for 162 yards, one touchdown, and one interception during Sunday's Week 9 loss against the Cincinnati Bengals. He also ran for 50 yards on three rushing attempts. Penix's solid rushing output helped to make up for his low passing yard total, but overall, it was a relatively disappointing outing from the former first-round pick. This was definitely not the way Penix wanted to play in his first game back from a four-turnover showing in Week 8. He now has 10 touchdowns and seven turnovers through seven games in 2026, and he doesn't have a clear path to the top-12 quarterback tier given that the Falcons employ a run-heavy offense centered around Bijan Robinson. Penix may have a little more upside in a projected negative game script environment against the Chiefs in Week 10, but we still think managers could find better options aleady on their roster or on waivers.
Justin Herbert vs. Michael Penix Jr.
Still trying to decide between Herbert and Penix Jr.? Check on the latest news to make sure both players are active and healthy. Our PPR projections show that Justin Herbert is projected to score 20.1 points this week while Michael Penix Jr. is projected to score 22.5 points.
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