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Should I drop Justin Herbert for fantasy football Week 4? Is Justin Herbert a safe player to cut? Read the fantasy football waivers outlook.
Los Angeles Chargers quarterback Justin Herbert has gotten off to a rough start to the 2026 season. The veteran has thrown three touchdown passes and has four interceptions through three games.
The Mike McDaniel experiment hasn’t gone to plan, and the offense still hasn't cracked 1,000 total yards. Who would have thought Greg Roman would produce more fantasy success for the Chargers than McDaniel?
After an underwhelming start, is it time to drop Justin Herbert? Let’s dive in!
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Should I Drop Justin Herbert in Fantasy Football?
I never imagined Herbert and the Los Angeles Chargers offense would be this bad, even in my worst-nightmare scenario back in the late summer. The Bolts are 0-3, nowhere near the top of the league in passing yards, and have more interceptions than passing touchdowns.
As a result, Herbert is the QB24 in overall scoring and hasn’t cracked 15 fantasy points this year.
| Justin Herbert's Weekly Outings | |
| Week 1 | 14.26 (QB22) |
| Week 2 | 9.88 (QB24) |
| Week 3 | 13.74 (QB23) |
Fantasy experts were excited to see Herbert in McDaniel’s system, which produced one of the league's best offenses during his time in Miami.
His offense ranked second in total yards, second in passing yards, and fourth in points scored in 2022 and 2023 combined. The offense also led the league in passing yards in 2023.
In addition, we’ve seen veteran quarterbacks hit the ground running in their first year in this system. Matthew Stafford (41), Sam Darnold (35), and Tua Tagovailoa (25) all set career highs in touchdown passes in their first season in a Kyle Shanahan/Sean McVay system.
That makes the slow start bizarre and even harder to fathom. It feels like the sky has fallen for the Chargers, and they will begin a murderers’ row of a six-game stretch starting this week.
| Week 4 | @ Seattle Seahawks |
| Week 5 | vs. Denver Broncos |
| Week 6 | @ Kansas City Chiefs |
| Week 7 | BYE |
| Week 8 | @ Los Angeles Rams |
| Week 9 | vs. Houston Texans |
| Week 10 | @ Baltimore Ravens |
That stretch leaves little hope for a turnaround in the Chargers' offense until they play the New York Jets in Week 11, and even then, they look shockingly competent.
Who knows what the Chargers will look like by then? Herbert should be out of fantasy lineups by then.
Herbert hasn’t finished in the top 8 in overall scoring since 2021. He finished outside the top 10 in three of those four years and averaged 17.7 points per game over those four seasons.
4th down ➡️ TOUCHDOWN
Justin Herbert runs it in for the @Chargers score!
📺: #TENvsLAC on FOX
📱: https://t.co/waVpO909ge https://t.co/V0nWnLI19S— NFL (@NFL) November 10, 2024
In the grand scheme of things, Herbert has been a borderline QB1 through the years, and you can find similar production off waivers.
Unfortunately, it's time to drop Herbert off into dumpsville. He’s struggled to produce in the new offense, and his lack of rushing keeps him from providing a safe floor.
Who Should I Pickup for Fantasy Football?
The quarterback waiver wire landscape is once again deep in standard 12-team leagues in 2026. This year, more than ever, it feels like playing the matchups instead of the players has been the right call more often than not.
We’ve seen guys like Geno Smith, Kirk Cousins, Jacoby Brissett, and Case Keenum produce top-level fantasy performances in matchups against bad defenses. Conversely, we’ve seen Dak Prescott, Lamar Jackson, and Trevor Lawrence have dud weeks against mid-to-good defenses.
There are viable options on waivers if the quarterback you drafted in August hasn’t lived up to expectations; that's the key takeaway.
Marcus Mariota, Daniel Jones, Smith, and Brissett are a few names you can likely find on waivers. They might not score 30 points and win you a week, but they’re solid options that will keep you competitive at the quarterback position.
Marcus Mariota ➡️ Treylon Burks to take the lead!
@SEAvsWAS on FOX/FOX One
Stream on @NFLPlus https://t.co/AFoB4sJSIF— NFL (@NFL) September 27, 2026
Who Should I Pickup Tool
Trying to decide who to pickup off the waiver wire? Check the Who Should I Pickup tool here:
Compare up to four players and we'll tell you who to pickup...
Who Should I Pickup? Some common 2026 fantasy football waiver wire decisions are regarding players like Geno Smith, Kirk Cousins, Jacoby Brissett, and Case Keenum. But not to worry, we are here to help make these waiver wire decisions and build winning teams in 2026. Set your optimal fantasy football lineups in 2026. Our free Who Should I Pickup? tool will help make your fantasy football waiver wire decisions. Compare up to four NFL players, and we tell you who to pickup... all free! Make the right decisions.
2026 Player Decisions. Today's focus is on Geno Smith, Kirk Cousins, Jacoby Brissett, and Case Keenum. He is one of the most common searches for 2026 fantasy football waiver wire pickups.
Using The Tool. This is a simple tool but very powerful. The first step is to enter the player names that you want to compare. In the first box, search for the first player name. In the second box, search for the second player name. Compare up to four NFL players at once, and then click the Who To Pickup? button to see who the recommended waiver wire pickups are based on fantasy football rankings, projections, and more.
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How It Works. Our RotoBaller staff puts together their weekly fantasy football waiver wire rankings and projections based on their research, and updates them constantly throughout the week. That information is the core data that is powering the decision-making in this tool. When you search for player names, you will only see those players who are ranked.
Popular Player Comparison Searches - Who To Pickup
Below are some popular searches and comparisons from our Who To Pickup tool for 2026 for Geno Smith, Kirk Cousins, Jacoby Brissett, and Case Keenum:
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