Who Should I Start? Justin Herbert or Michael Penix Jr.
Week 1 Projections
| Fant. Pts. |
Rush. Yds. |
Rush TD |
Rec. | Rec. Yds. |
Rec TD |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 26.1 | 24.8 | 0.2 | 0.0 | 0.0 | 0.0 |
Justin Herbert News
Friday, September 4, 12:19 PM
Across 16 games in 2025, Los Angeles Chargers quarterback Justin Herbert completed 66.4% of his pass attempts for 3,727 yards, 26 touchdowns, and 13 interceptions. The 28-year-old also rushed for a career-high 498 yards and two touchdowns on 83 attempts, which helped him finish the year as the fantasy QB10 in both overall and per-game scoring. Entering 2026, there's reason to believe Herbert could be well-positioned to top 4,000 passing yards for the first time since 2022. The Chargers have a new offensive coordinator in former Miami Dolphins head coach Mike McDaniel, who should help open up the offense with more explosive plays down the field. Herbert also has a much healthier offensive line in front of him and an extremely talented group of offensive weapons to throw the ball to. As long as he stays healthy, Herbert has a chance to put together his most productive statistical season since 2021, when he threw for 5,014 yards and 35 touchdowns.
Week 1 Projections
| Fant. Pts. |
Rush. Yds. |
Rush TD |
Rec. | Rec. Yds. |
Rec TD |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 0.0 | 0.0 | 0.0 | 0.0 | 0.0 | 0.0 |
Michael Penix Jr. News
Friday, September 11, 10:10 AM
When asked if there was any chance that quarterback Michael Penix Jr. (knee) could start on Sunday in the Week 1 season opener against the Pittsburgh Steelers, Atlanta Falcons head coach Kevin Stefanski said, "No." Stefanski said that Penix will be ready when he is ready. It remains to be seen if Penix will be ready for the team's Week 2 contest next Sunday, Sept. 20, versus the division-rival Carolina Panthers, as the Falcons are now in a bit of a bind at the QB position following Tua Tagovailoa's oblique injury in practice on Thursday that will sideline him this weekend. With Penix already ruled out, the Falcons are forced to turn to veteran backup Cooper Rush in the season opener against Pittsburgh, with undrafted rookie Jack Strand backing him up. It might be just one week of Rush, though, since Penix has been listed as a full participant in practices this week. With Tagovailoa now potentially being cut after another injury, Penix's path to a full-time starting role has cleared up, making him much more attractive for the 2026 season in two-QB superflex leagues after he partially tore his ACL last year.
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 26.1 points this week while Michael Penix Jr. is projected to score 0.0 points.
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