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Justin Herbert Avoids a Fractured Finger
Los Angeles Chargers head coach Jim Harbaugh announced on Monday that quarterback Justin Herbert's (finger) imaging came back "negative" and that he avoided a fracture on his left middle finger, according to Alex Insdorf. Herbert was injured in the team's 44-22 loss at home to the Houston Texans on Sunday in Week 9, but he should be good to suit up in Week 10 against the Baltimore Ravens next Monday night with an extra day off until then. The 28-year-old could be limited in practice this week, but it would be a surprise if he does not start against Baltimore as the Bolts search for their first victory of the 2026 season. Offensive coordinator Mike McDaniel was praising Herbert for his progress in learning the new offense back in training camp, but the Chargers have been a dumpster fire under McDaniel this year, with Herbert ranking as the QB24 in fantasy with 1,591 passing yards, six touchdowns, and a league-high 11 interceptions in eight starts. It is not all on his shoulders, though, with L.A.'s offensive line yet again being a major liability, while top wideout Ladd McConkey (back) has not really been healthy all year. Touted as a potential midrange QB1 going into the season, Herbert and the entire Chargers offense have been one of the biggest busts in 2026. He should only be started in superflex leagues in Week 10 against the Ravens.
Source: Alex Insdorf
Source: Alex Insdorf
Justin Herbert Could be Dealing With Fractured Finger
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.
Source: Alex Insdorf - Guilty As Charged Podcast
Source: Alex Insdorf - Guilty As Charged Podcast
Justin Herbert Injures Hand Late in Blowout Loss to Texans
Los Angeles Chargers quarterback Justin Herbert (hand) was out for the rest of Sunday's Week 9 game against the Houston Texans after backup DJ Uiagalelei took over in the fourth quarter. Hayley Elwood reported that Herbert emerged on the sideline wearing a glove on his left hand. Uiagalelei made his NFL regular-season debut with Los Angeles trailing 41-15. Herbert completed 13 of 23 passes for 193 yards, one touchdown and one interception, and Houston sacked him eight times. His lone touchdown was a 58-yard pass to Quentin Johnston earlier in the fourth quarter. The Chargers visit the Baltimore Ravens on Monday night in Week 10.
Source: Hayley Elwood
Source: Hayley Elwood
Justin Herbert a Tough Superflex Start in Week 9 vs. Texans
Los Angeles Chargers quarterback Justin Herbert didn't show signs of turning his season around after his bye. The 28-year-old scored under 10 fantasy points, threw two interceptions, and was QB21 on the week. It marked the third time this season Herbert failed to reach double-digit fantasy points, dropping him to QB27 overall. Herbert enters Week 9 as RotoBaller's QB24 in a tough matchup against the Houston Texans. The Texans have allowed the 11th-fewest passing touchdowns but have allowed the third-most 20-plus-yard passing plays this season. Houston hasn't had a menacing defense this season, but it isn't a defense to pick on for fantasy football. Herbert is an uninspiring QB2 and is best left out of fantasy lineups in Week 9.
Source: NFL.com
Source: NFL.com
Chargers Not Inclined to Trade Justin Herbert
The Los Angeles Chargers have answered trade inquiries from rival teams about quarterback Justin Herbert with "hard no's," per ESPN's Adam Schefter and Ian Rapoport. The 0-7 Chargers appear to be out of the playoff picture in 2026, but the organization does not seem to be inclined to fully blow up their current team. Herbert is in the midst of an awful season, as he's completed 61.8% of his pass attempts for 1,398 yards, five touchdowns, and 10 interceptions across seven games. However, the 28-year-old is a two-time Pro Bowler who has finished in the top 10 of the MVP vote twice in six full NFL seasons. While Herbert would surely fetch the Chargers a massive return in trade, replacing their franchise quarterback does not appear to be an option Los Angeles is considering ahead of the upcoming NFL trade deadline.
Source: ESPN - Adam Schefter, Ian Rapoport
Source: ESPN - Adam Schefter, Ian Rapoport
Justin Herbert is Risky Streaming Choice with Recent Struggles
Los Angeles Chargers quarterback Justin Herbert is having a season to forget right now. It has gone from bad to worse for Herbert, who hasn't thrown a touchdown pass since Week 5 against the Denver Broncos. Over his last two games, Herbert has thrown zero touchdowns and three interceptions. The 28-year-old has been held to under 250 passing yards in every game besides one this season. He does draw a favorable matchup against the Houston Texans pass defense, which ranks 29th in the league right now. Despite that, fantasy managers have little reason to believe that Herbert is going to turn it around. He remains a risky streaming choice even with a plus matchup against the Texans defense.
Source: Pro Football Reference
Source: Pro Football Reference
Mike McDaniel to Continue Calling Plays for Chargers' Offense
Los Angeles Chargers offensive coordinator Mike McDaniel will continue calling plays, Fernando Ramirez reports. Despite the team's offensive struggles, McDaniel is going to continue calling the plays for the offense going forward. The Chargers dropped to 0-7 on the season after scoring only nine points against the Los Angeles Rams on Sunday. This team continues to struggle to produce offensively, with only one game with over 20 points this season. The Chargers have now been held to under 10 points in two straight games. It's clear that something needs to change in Los Angeles, but the Chargers are going to stick with McDaniel for now.
Source: Fernando Ramirez
Source: Fernando Ramirez
Justin Herbert Will Attempt to Turn Season Around in Week 8 vs. Rams
Los Angeles Chargers quarterback Justin Herbert hopes to jump-start his season out of his bye week. Herbert is the QB32 on a points-per-game basis, averaging 11.7 points per game. The 28-year-old veteran has yet to crack 15 fantasy points, throw multiple touchdowns, or throw for over 230 passing yards in a game this season. Entering Week 8, Herbert is RotoBaller's QB25 in a tough matchup against the Los Angeles Rams. The Rams defense has allowed the second-lowest yards per pass attempt (6), third-lowest completion percentage (58%), and the fifth-fewest passing yards this season (1,351). It's been a season to forget for Herbert and the Chargers, with a disappointing 0-6 start. He should be out of all fantasy lineups, even superflex, until he turns his season around.
Source: NFL.com
Source: NFL.com
Justin Herbert's Fantasy Stock Continues to Fall
Los Angeles Chargers quarterback Justin Herbert has provided little fantasy value during the team's 0-6 start, with his passing efficiency and touchdown production both falling sharply. After throwing 26 touchdowns and 13 interceptions in 16 games last season, Herbert has five touchdown passes and eight interceptions through six games in 2026. His last three starts have produced just 514 passing yards, two touchdowns, and four interceptions, while he has been sacked 13 times across that stretch. Injuries to left tackle Rashawn Slater and center Tyler Biadasz have compounded the problems, and the Chargers rank last in offensive EPA per play (-0.190) while averaging 15 points per game. Los Angeles used its Week 7 bye to review the offense, although Mike McDaniel will remain the play-caller. Herbert has averaged 10.4 fantasy points per game this season and sits at QB25 in Nick Mariano's RotoBaller Week 8 rankings ahead of Sunday's road matchup with the Rams. His production makes him a difficult starting option in conventional one-quarterback leagues.
Source: RotoBaller
Source: RotoBaller
Mike McDaniel to Remain Chargers' Offensive Play-Caller
Los Angeles Chargers offensive coordinator Mike McDaniel will keep his play-calling duties, even though the offense has averaged just 15.0 points per game and ranks last in the NFL in EPA per play through six contests. His status had been uncertain after the Chargers fell to 0-6 with a 22-6 loss to the Kansas City Chiefs in Week 6, prompting head coach Jim Harbaugh to evaluate every aspect of a struggling offense. Harbaugh confirmed Wednesday, according to Ari Meirov, that McDaniel will retain those duties following the Week 7 bye and keep directing quarterback Justin Herbert when the Chargers face the Los Angeles Rams on Sunday, still seeking their first victory. Harbaugh has discussed potentially simplifying the playbook to improve execution, although no specific adjustments have been announced.
Source: Ari Meirov
Source: Ari Meirov
Chargers Considering Simplifying Offense for Justin Herbert
Los Angeles Chargers head coach Jim Harbaugh acknowledged that the team is considering simplifying their offense during their Week 7 bye after an 0-6 start, according to Noah Furtado of The Athletic. "Definitely looking at volume and where you can make it to where the players can understand," Harbaugh said, in reference to thinning the playbook. Offensive coordinator Mike McDaniel's future is in doubt after the rough start, so it is unclear if the simplifying of the offense will involve him or not. The Chargers rank 32nd in total expected points added per play, 25th in percentage of carries contacted at or before the line of scrimmage, first in turnovers, tied for second in pre-snap penalties, and third in total penalties. They are shooting themselves in the foot week after week, and quarterback Justin Herbert leads the league in interceptions, is tied for first in QB hits, and ranks second in sacks taken. It is a giant mess. It is good news that the Chargers are considering doing something different, but the simplification of the offense is not guaranteed to turn Herbert's or the Chargers' season around. With the bye this week, it has become increasingly tougher to keep Herbert rostered in single-QB fantasy formats. And coming out of the bye, it will not get any easier with a matchup against the Los Angeles Rams.
Source: The Athletic - Noah Furtado
Source: The Athletic - Noah Furtado
Momentum Growing for Chargers to Fire Mike McDaniel
There is "growing buzz" that the Los Angeles Chargers could fire offensive coordinator Mike McDaniel soon, according to Mike Florio of Pro Football Talk. While nothing is imminent, Florio does suspect that a move could come sooner rather than later. The report also states that pass game specialist Adam Gase would take over as offensive coordinator if McDaniel is fired. The Chargers are now 0-6, and it's safe to say that McDaniel isn't the only reason why the team has struggled. However, the offense was supposed to be the Chargers' best unit in 2026, and it has certainly not lived up to that hype. The unit mustered just six points (two field goals and zero touchdowns) against the Kansas City Chiefs on Sunday, with Justin Herbert amassing only 204 yards through the air. Meanwhile, the backfield totaled 73 total yards, including a mere 3.3 yards per carry. To add insult to injury, the Chargers' offense turned the ball over twice in the loss. At this point, moving on from McDaniel wouldn't magically get Los Angeles into the playoff hunt, but a personnel change could at least give the Chargers a fresh coaching perspective on offense while beginning preparations for improvements in 2027.
Source: Mike Florio
Source: Mike Florio
Justin Herbert Hard to Trust in Week 6 vs. Chiefs
Los Angeles Chargers quarterback Justin Herbert has become unplayable in one-quarterback fantasy football leagues. Herbert's the QB25 in overall scoring and is averaging 12.1 points per game through five weeks. He hasn't scored over 15 points in a single game and is coming off back-to-back performances under 12 fantasy points. Entering Week 6, Herbert is RotoBaller's QB25 in a tough matchup against division rival Kansas City Chiefs. The Chiefs defense has allowed the second-fewest passing yards and passing touchdowns, while surrendering one passing touchdown and forcing one interception per game. Additionally, the Chiefs are coming off their bye week, giving them an extra week to game plan for a struggling Chargers offense. Herbert should be out of lineups in all fantasy league formats in a tough Week 6 matchup.
Source: NFL.com
Source: NFL.com
Justin Herbert No Longer a Must-Roster Quarterback
After logging 3,727 passing yards, 498 rushing yards, and 29 total touchdowns in 2025, Los Angeles Chargers quarterback Justin Herbert was widely viewed by fantasy managers as a no-doubt top-12 quarterback entering 2026. However, the 28-year-old has played some of the worst football of his career through the first five weeks of the season, completing just 59.4% of his pass attempts for 937 yards, five touchdowns, and seven interceptions. The Chargers offense has also collapsed around Herbert. In Week 5, Los Angeles was without tackles Joe Alt (neck) and Rashawn Slater (ankle), as well as wide receivers Ladd McConkey (foot), Quentin Johnston (chest), and Brenen Thompson (quad). Between his own struggles and the situation around him, Herbert is no longer a must-roster player for fantasy managers.
Source: RotoBaller
Source: RotoBaller
Chargers Not Considering Trading Justin Herbert
The Los Angeles Chargers have never discussed the idea of potentially trading quarterback Justin Herbert, a team source told Adam Schefter of ESPN. Schefter admitted that the idea of the Chargers trading Herbert for three first-round picks would be intriguing and would allow the 0-5 team to rebuild for the future, but it sounds as though the Bolts have no interest in trading away their franchise signal-caller despite the bad start and injuries piling up around him on offense. Things could change if the Chargers continue to lose -- they face the undefeated Kansas City Chiefs in Week 6 -- but as of now, it is a non-starter for the organization, and it does not even sound like they are willing to listen to trade offers for Herbert. The 28-year-old has struggled in new coordinator Mike McDaniel's scheme through five weeks, but L.A.'s grinder of a schedule has not made it any easier. Herbert is completing 59.4% of his passes for 937 yards, five touchdowns, and seven interceptions, and is already working with a patchwork offensive line in front of him. He has quickly fallen down to low-end QB2 status, and it is going to be difficult for him to bounce back this weekend against KC given all the injuries to the Chargers' WR corps.
Source: ESPN - Adam Schefter
Source: ESPN - Adam Schefter
