Justin Herbert

QB, LAC

Herbert enters Week 4 as a struggling former top-five dynasty/redraft QB now playing in a broken Mike McDaniel offense — turnover-prone, pressured at the second-highest rate in the league, and without a functional run game or healthy McConkey. The talent evaluation hasn't fully soured, but the production has: he's posted multiple multi-turnover games and ranks near the bottom of the league in EPA per dropback and deep-ball accuracy.

The last two weeks moved from 'rough Week 1 debut' (Yahoo, FantasyPros) to outright alarm after consecutive multi-turnover losses, with Fantasy Football Today, Fantasy Focus, and Rotoworld all flagging bench/drop status by 9/28 given a brutal upcoming slate. The central disagreement is whether this is on Herbert or his situation: FantasyPros' Fitzmaurice and Fantasy Life's Turner blame Herbert's own decision-making and forcing throws, while The Audible, Dynasty Nerds, and Yahoo's Harmon mostly point to O-line collapse, McConkey's absence, and scheme fit under McDaniel. Dynasty-focused shows (FantasyPros Dynasty, Dynasty Nerds, The Ringer) have split off into a buy-low camp, arguing his value has never been lower and his floor remains QB15-or-better, even as redraft shows are actively cutting him.

The line: Bench him through this brutal defensive stretch in redraft, but dynasty buyers should be moving now — this is value trough, not permanent decline. · updated Oct 01

Thursday, October 1

▼ Yahoo Fantasy Forecast with Matt Harmon: Hosts say he's making bad plays worse (e.g., forcing a post into a disguised-but-actually-static cover 3) despite decent surrounding circumstances; tough Seahawks matchup up next. listen ↗

Wednesday, September 30

▼ Fantasy Football Happy Hour with Matthew Berry: Closing it out at QB21 due to a brutal matchup at Seattle, poor interior offensive line play, and a non-existent run game. listen ↗

▲ FantasyPros Dynasty Football Podcast: Slow start (QB24) has tanked his value, but his floor historically is QB15 or better; Bogman says buy now in superflex, though Fitz worries stakeholders still won't sell cheap. listen ↗

▶ The Audible: Undergoing mechanical rework under Mike McDaniel (shotgun stance, quicker throws); struggles seen as a 'remodeling' process, more promising second half. listen ↗

▶ The Audible: Struggles attributed to losing starting center Bradley Bozeman/Tyler Beadish-type issues, high pressure rate, drops, and Ladd McConkie's in-and-out availability rather than Herbert's own talent; hosts are holding/buying in dynasty, cautious about dropping in redraft given quality of weapons. listen ↗

Tuesday, September 29

Both shows are down on Herbert — Turner points to his career-long habit of forcing big plays instead of taking what's open, and Harmon flags a rough schedule ahead plus an inexcusable red-zone pick, going so far as to call him a drop candidate in some formats.

▼ Fantasy Life Show: Turner says Herbert is talented but has a career-long pattern of trying to force big plays instead of taking what's given, worsening negative plays. listen ↗

▼ FantasyPros - Fantasy Football Podcast: Fantasy production has been non-existent facing a brutal upcoming schedule of strong defenses (Seattle, Denver, Kansas City, Rams, Houston, Baltimore); hosts recommend dropping him for a waiver QB rather than trading. listen ↗

▼ Rotoworld Football Show – Fantasy Football: Ranks 32nd in EPA per dropback even without pressure, reflecting a broader Chargers offensive dysfunction beyond just poor blocking. listen ↗

▼ Yahoo Fantasy Forecast with Matt Harmon: Placed in the coping corner/recommended drop candidate given a brutal upcoming schedule and poor play, including an inexcusable red-zone interception. listen ↗

Monday, September 28

All three shows agree: bench or drop him — his deep-ball accuracy has collapsed (1-of-12 on 20+ air yard throws, three picks) and a tough schedule ahead makes him not worth the roster spot without a strong backup plan.

▶ Dynasty Nerds Podcast | Dynasty Fantasy Football: Listed as an 'almost faller' at 0-3, but hosts aren't panicking since the whole Chargers offense is struggling, not just him specifically. listen ↗

▼ Fantasy Feast: NFL Fantasy Football Podcast: Off to a slow start as the Chargers dropped to 0-3 despite forcing five Bills turnovers. listen ↗

▼ Fantasy Focus Football: Only 12.7 fantasy points with one INT and inefficient completions; hosts say they've dropped him and recommend rostering a second QB instead. listen ↗

▼ Fantasy Focus Football: Under 13 fantasy points again; hosts say it's officially over on starting him given the brutal upcoming schedule. listen ↗

▼ Fantasy Football Today: Also labeled droppable due to tough upcoming schedule despite a decent 14.7-point game. listen ↗

▼ FantasyPros - Fantasy Football Podcast: Both hosts agree to cut him if you can't carry two QBs, saying he's fallen out of must-start territory and was overrated in preseason rankings. listen ↗

▼ Harris Fantasy Football Podcast: Made multiple bad decisions (interceptions, near-picks) in a winnable game, and hosts said his poor play can't just be blamed on the offensive line. listen ↗

▼ Rotoworld Football Show – Fantasy Football: Just 1-of-12 on throws over 20 air yards with three interceptions this season; hosts say he should be benched until the offense shows improvement. listen ↗

▼ The Ringer Fantasy Football Show: Threw a bad interception over the middle due to missing a safety; part of the larger Chargers offensive dysfunction that has hosts wanting to 'sell' despite talent. listen ↗

Sunday, September 27

▼ The Audible: Struggled badly with turnovers and bad reads against Buffalo; hosts called this a 'smash drop' matchup and questioned his understanding of the offense. listen ↗

Saturday, September 26

▶ Fantasy Football Today: Hosts said not to flat-out cut Herbert despite poor play, comparing his struggles to Trevor Lawrence's early-season issues before a turnaround; patience recommended if roster allows. listen ↗

▶ FantasyPros - Fantasy Football Podcast: Ranked at consensus (QB13); hosts see a coin-flip shot at a Chargers offensive breakout given Buffalo's leaky defense, but overall skepticism remains due to poor offensive line play. listen ↗

▶ FantasyPros - Fantasy Football Podcast: Considered for an over on passing yards/attempts given expected negative script, but ultimately dropped from the card in favor of other bets. listen ↗

Friday, September 25

▲ FantasyPros - Fantasy Football Podcast: Hosts strongly advise against trading him after two bad weeks, citing his high-end QB1 fantasy upside and the Chargers likely needing to pass more against Buffalo. listen ↗

▼ Harris Fantasy Football Podcast: Ranked as low as QB13 amid an offensive line collapse and lack of a running game, despite offseason MVP betting buzz. listen ↗

▼ The Ringer Fantasy Football Show: Facing the second-highest pressure rate in the league despite having two proven tackles back, largely due to a collapsed interior offensive line. listen ↗

Thursday, September 24

▼ Fantasy Feast: NFL Fantasy Football Podcast: Cosell wonders if Herbert's size and lack of 'twitchy' quickness make him a poor scheme fit for McDaniel's quick-rhythm timing offense, calling it a work in progress. listen ↗

▼ Fantasy Football Today: Hosts are ready to bench him after two poor performances, noting more interceptions than touchdowns and offensive struggles heading into a tough Buffalo matchup. listen ↗

▲ Rotoworld Football Show – Fantasy Football: Great streaming matchup against a bad Bills defense; hosts say if you're starting him, everyone who drafted him should too, calling it a make-or-break game. listen ↗

▼ The Audible: Chargers' offense is far shallower than assumed in the preseason; Herbert isn't processing the game like a plus-processing QB, and playmakers dried up once Ladd McConkie got hurt. listen ↗

▶ Yahoo Fantasy Forecast with Matt Harmon: Herbert's supporting cast mistakes (drops, penalties, missed assignments) rather than his own play are cited as the main reason the Chargers passing game has looked bad. listen ↗

Wednesday, September 23

Recent output has been ugly — under 10 fantasy points and dragging McConkey down with him — but The Ringer flags this as the cheapest his trade value has ever been, framing it as a buy-low if you trust a bounce-back; Fantasy Feast is lukewarm even on positive scripts against Buffalo. Net: sell-high managers should worry, buy-low managers should be circling him now.

▶ Fantasy Feast: NFL Fantasy Football Podcast: Ross thinks the Chargers offense could get going more but still won't be enough to beat Buffalo. listen ↗

▶ Fantasy Football Happy Hour with Matthew Berry: Struggling through two bad games but hosts reluctantly keep him as a low-end QB1/streamer against Buffalo, citing potential garbage-time passing volume. listen ↗

▼ FantasyPros Dynasty Football Podcast: Herbert has a lower QBR than every starter but Cooper Rush, ranks 30th in passer rating with only 2 TDs/3 INTs, and the hosts are questioning if he's just an average starter; Fitzmaurice said he'd sell and would rather have Brock Purdy or Trevor Lawrence right now. listen ↗

▶ The Audible: Hosts question why Herbert hasn't clicked with McDaniel's offense; still viewed as a viable start given the passing volume the offense will need against Buffalo. listen ↗

▲ The Ringer Fantasy Football Show: Called never cheaper in trade value in seven years despite the Chargers' struggles; floated as a buy-low if you believe in a bounce-back. listen ↗

▼ Yahoo Fantasy Forecast with Matt Harmon: Scored fewer than 10 fantasy points and is seen as needing to play better for the Chargers passing game (and Ladd McConkey/Emeka Egbuka) to live up to its usage-based expectations. listen ↗

Tuesday, September 22

All three shows point to the same root cause—injured O-line, missing Ladd McConkey, offense in disrepair—but the panic level diverges: Fantasy Life says be patient with McDaniel's system, while Late-Round and Yahoo's Pianowski (calling it 'total panic') say Herbert owns some blame and is streamable off given the brutal schedule ahead.

▲ Dynasty Nerds Podcast | Dynasty Fantasy Football: Slow start and turnover-heavy first two games have crashed his price, but hosts see him as a safe long-term building block whose job is not in jeopardy; buy now before rebound. listen ↗

▼ Establish The Run Fantasy Football: Held under 200 yards, threw two picks, took three sacks in an ugly loss; offensive line issues (Joe Alt struggling) compounding problems. listen ↗

▶ Fantasy Life Show: Struggling behind a poor offensive line; Turner says give him more time to gel with Mike McDaniel's new offense before writing him off. listen ↗

▶ FantasyPros - Fantasy Football Podcast: Called a hold rather than sell since his trade value has cratered too much to move, despite a favorable matchup vs. Buffalo that could force him to carry the offense. listen ↗

▼ FantasyPros - Fantasy Football Podcast: Hosts question whether he's simply overrated after years of excuses (O-line, injuries, play-calling), with Debro claiming Jalen Hurts is now a better QB. listen ↗

▼ The Audible: Considered for sabotage drop due to a poorly coached, sloppy Chargers offense, though hosts suggest holding one more week for garbage-time production before dropping. listen ↗

▼ The Late-Round Fantasy Football Podcast: JJ says Herbert hasn't played well and deserves some blame for the Chargers' struggling offense, alongside poor interior offensive line play. listen ↗

▼ Yahoo Fantasy Forecast with Matt Harmon: Offense collapsing without a healthy Ladd McConkey and amid O-line/tight end injuries; Harmon 'some panic', Pianowski 'total panic' and suggests streaming alternatives given a brutal upcoming schedule. listen ↗

Monday, September 21

Unanimous alarm across every show: Herbert's off to an 0-2 start with multiple turnover-filled games, looking hesitant and out of sync in McDaniel's offense behind a shaky line, dragging him down to fringe QB2 territory. With a brutal upcoming schedule and no fix in sight, sit him where you can and don't expect a quick turnaround.

▼ Dynasty Nerds Podcast | Dynasty Fantasy Football: Offense has scored only 14 points in each loss; hosts debate a buy-low window but caution about a brutal upcoming schedule against elite pass defenses. listen ↗

▼ Fantasy Feast: NFL Fantasy Football Podcast: Fumbled three times as the Chargers had six total fumbles in a bad loss to the Raiders. listen ↗

▼ Fantasy Focus Football: Threw for 192 yards, 1 TD, 2 INTs and took 3 sacks in an embarrassing loss; hosts now view him as only a QB2 given a brutal upcoming schedule. listen ↗

▼ Fantasy Football Happy Hour with Matthew Berry: Offense and O-line have been disastrous; Herbert ranks QB26 through two weeks and hosts say you can't start him right now given a brutal upcoming schedule. listen ↗

▼ Fantasy Football Today: Looking confused and not stepping into throws behind a struggling interior offensive line; hosts say explore Bryce Young as a alternative and are worried about the Chargers offense (8-9/10 concern level). listen ↗

▼ Fantasy Football Today: Threw accurately for most of the game but three fumbles and a late interception, plus a shaky offensive line and confusing scheme fit, have hosts sitting him this week. listen ↗

▼ FantasyPros - Fantasy Football Podcast: 0-2 for the first time in his career; offense looks out of sync/off schedule, making him a tough Week 3 start even in 1QB leagues. listen ↗

▼ RotoWire Fantasy Football With Theo Gremminger: Threw for only 192 yards with 2 interceptions as the Chargers fell to 0-2; his expected mobility hasn't materialized. listen ↗

▼ Rotoworld Football Show – Fantasy Football: Had an embarrassing game with multiple fumbles and a bad interception, playing 'hero ball' behind a supposedly improved but still shaky offensive line and play-calling. listen ↗

▼ The Audible: Threw multiple interceptions for just the fifth time since 2022 and looked out of sync with Mike McDaniel's offense in a loss to the Raiders, with a tough schedule ahead. listen ↗

▼ The Audible: Looked frustrated/mad on the sideline as the Chargers fell to 0-2; hosts argue the roster/scheme (O-line, receivers) isn't supporting him despite his physical talent. listen ↗

▼ The Ringer Fantasy Football Show: Hosts debate whether he has poor pocket presence and holds the ball too long; he was outplayed by Kirk Cousins and the Chargers offense looked broken again. listen ↗

▼ Yahoo Fantasy Football with Josh & Hayden: Hosts are worried about his feel in the new Mike McDaniel offense, noting hesitancy, inaccuracy, and forced turnovers despite manageable pressure. listen ↗

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