Justin Herbert

Justin Herbert seems to be a prince never destined to be King. His playoff record is 0-3. Every year the Chargers add a piece to help him and this year it is Mike McDaniel as offensive coordinator. On paper this elevates Herbert into a potential fantasy starter. He does just enough as a runner to keep him interesting. Herbert often finds a way to disappoint so keep another option close. 

Got the biggest upgrade in offensive coordinator this offseason

Was a solid fantasy QB1 when he had one healthy tackle last year, hopefully will have two for most of all of this season, but interior offensive line is a question mark

Week 3-10 is a gauntlet of tough defenses, hopefully interior OL will get settled by then

Herbert gets a huge coaching upgrade with Mike McDaniel taking over as offensive coordinator. McDaniel is already tweaking his footwork to speed up his release, and with a healthier, rebuilt line in front of him, Herbert has a great shot to climb back into contention among top fantasy quarterbacks. 

Despite season-ending preseason injuries to star tackles Rashawn Slater and Joe Alt, Justin Herbert ranked as the QB4 through 10 weeks before a broken non-throwing hand derailed his second half. Slater and Alt are back, and new OC Mike McDaniel’s scheme is built to create space for receivers to maximize yards after the catch. Combine the new scheme with Herbert’s ball placement and the YAC ability of Ladd McConkey and Quentin Johnston, and a top-five fantasy finish should follow.

Herbert, Williams, Purdy, Stafford, and Prescott are five reasons there's no need to take the quarterbacks at the top of ADP list and that's not the complete list of viable talents with legitimate top-five ceilings this year.

Herbert is one of the most appealing because of Mike McDaniel and a strong offensive line that's healthy. 

McDaniel brings a quick-hitting passing game with a lot of misdirection to L.A. As McDaniel noted this spring, Herbert excels in the quick game and when he extends plays off-script.

The weakest part of his game has been with deep drops that require mutliiple on-script reads. McDaniel intends to limit these reps and lean hard on the YAC skills of his receivers. 

Ladd McConkey and Quentin Johnston excel on short routes with YAC opportunities because of their short-area quickness. Look for both to have career years and fuel a resurgence in Herbert's fantasy value. 

It was a tale of two seasons in 2025, and now we have to guess which we will see in 2026. For nine weeks, he was the QB2. For the next eight, the QB19. His home is probably somewhere in the middle.