Justin Herbert Week 14 Injury Update: Fantasy Football Outlook
Jorge Martin breaks down the fantasy football outlook for Justin Herbert playing with a broken hand in Week 14 against the Eagles on Monday Night Football.
The site of Justin Herbert wearing a white glove on his left hand in Week 13 against the Raiders was not something very comforting for Chargers Nation, nor his fantasy managers who've seen him rise to the QB8 on the season thus far. While Michael Jackson made wearing a single glove in the ‘80s around Los Angeles fashionable, Herbert was doing so trying to play through a hand injury. As it turns out, a fairly serious one.
While Herbert finished the day 15-of-20 for 151 yards and 2 TDs in a 31-14 victory over the Raiders, the information that followed the day after showed the seriousness. Herbert ended up having surgery on Monday to repair multiple fractures in his left (non-throwing) hand, yet he was pushing to play in a Monday Night Football game against the Eagles just seven days later. Is that possible? Well, there is history of quarterbacks powering through injuries to get on the field and lead their teams, and no one is questioning Herbert’s toughness. He has played with injuries several times in the past.
After practicing on a limited basis to end the week, Herbert is questionable going into the huge game against the Eagles. As we won’t know for sure until 90 minutes before the game’s start when inactives are announced, we’ll put together his outlook as if he’s starting in the battle of 8-4 squads.
Justin Herbert Week 14 Fantasy Football Outlook
Herbert should have the luxury of a solid running game now that Omarion Hampton will return to the field from an ankle fracture. Kimani Vidal has played well, amassing over 100 scrimmage yards in three of the last five games.
As for Herbert, he last threw more than 30 pass attempts in Week 11, when he hit on 20-of-33 passes for 220 yards and a score in a victory over the Steelers. This injury should not limit his throwing, though the Chargers could plan for him to make shorter throws. That bodes well for Ladd McConkey and Keenan Allen getting looks out of the slot. Oronde Gadsden could see some work, but he has not seen more than 6 targets in a game since Week 7. Also, the Eagles are tough against TEs, No. 29 in fantasy points allowed to the position. Travis Kelce has the high against them with 61 receiving yards.
Does this mean that it’s not a good week to start Quentin Johnston? That’s probably the case, as the player with the highest ADOT (11.6) on the team may not get many targets against a defensive front, that while it will be without injured Jalen Carter, will still have plenty of bodies flying at Herbert, causing him to get rid of the ball sooner.
One thing that we can expect is that he will not be running much, if at all. Since it’s hard enough to protect himself from the pocket, leaving the pocket will not be wise, which will be a downgrade to his rushing stats.
Start Herbert or Sit Him?
Fantasy managers who have come to rely on him may have some worry about starting him, and our consensus Fantasy Life rankings have him at QB17. If you’ve been starting Herbert most of the season, he’s likely still your best option. The game environment with an over/under of 42.5 should see some points on the board, as it seems to happen in primetime games at SoFi Stadium. Unless you have a high-upside alternative, Herbert is a starter for your team in Week 14.
