The Los Angeles Chargers will face the New England Patriots in Week 17. Here’s the latest fantasy football news and advice to help you with your lineups this week and moving forward, especially regarding QB Justin Herbert.
Is Justin Herbert Playing in Week 17?
Herbert is not listed on the injury report this week, so barring any setbacks, he is on track to play this weekend.
We’ll continue to monitor the Chargers’ injury report. You can also visit and bookmark our NFL Injury Tracker and Fantasy News Tracker for the latest updates.
Should You Start or Sit Justin Herbert in Week 17?
Every season in every sport, we see players who are worth more in our game than in the “real” game.
Justin Herbert is the opposite. The less the Chargers rely on Herbert, the happier Jim Harbaugh is.
Consider this — Harbaugh’s star quarterback is hardly averaging more pass attempts this season (28.7) than completions in 2022 (28.1). That, of course, is not near ideal for our purposes, and when you consider that Herbert’s alpha WR1 is a rookie, the ceiling/floor combination isn’t exactly working in our favor.
But maybe this is a good spot?
Herbert is coming off of a Thursday night game that saw him complete a season-high 11 passes in play-action situations, and the Patriots happen to own a bottom-five touchdown rate in defending such passes. The volume is one thing, but that’s not what encouraged me the most from the win over the Broncos: 2.6 yards.
That’s all Herbert averaged in air yards on those play-action attempts. That’s nothing (Weeks 1-15: 9.3).
Some will read that as an unwillingness to challenge downfield, and I’m not saying that’s wrong, but I don’t think it’s the angle to take. In my eyes, this could forecast putting more on Herbert’s plate and making his right arm a supplement to the traditional run game.
Don’t get me wrong, I still think Los Angeles looks to establish the run, especially as a road favorite on long rest. That said, last week gave me a little more hope in terms of a ceiling when it comes to dropbacks and, thus, quarterback value.
I don’t think it would be crazy to think Herbert returns value similar to last week, which makes him a reasonable option in the money round of fantasy leagues if you are without a star at the position.
Are you looking for start/sit advice for other players in your lineup? Read our Week 17 Fantasy Start-Sit Advice Cheat Sheet for every fantasy-relevant player in every game.
Justin Herbert’s Fantasy Points Projection in Week 17
As of Thursday, Herbert is projected to score 13.7 fantasy points in Week 17. This includes 193.7 passing yards, 1.2 passing touchdowns, and 0.4 interceptions. It also includes 2.7 rushing attempts for 10.3 yards and 0.1 touchdowns.
Check out the free PFN Fantasy Start-Sit Optimizer for the latest projections and advice for your lineups this week.
Justin Herbert’s Fantasy Ranking
Our Weekly Consensus PPR Rankings are below — both positional and overall. They were last updated at 3:45 AM ET on Wednesday, December 25. If you're in a Superflex league, make sure you check out our Weekly Consensus Superflex Rankings.
Week 17 QB PPR Rankings
1) Josh Allen | BUF (vs. NYJ)
2) Lamar Jackson | BAL (at HOU)
3) Jalen Hurts | PHI (vs. DAL)
4) Joe Burrow | CIN (vs. DEN)
5) Jayden Daniels | WAS (vs. ATL)
6) Baker Mayfield | TB (vs. CAR)
7) Sam Darnold | MIN (vs. GB)
8) Kyler Murray | ARI (at LAR)
9) Bo Nix | DEN (at CIN)
10) Jordan Love | GB (at MIN)
11) Jared Goff | DET (at SF)
12) Anthony Richardson | IND (at NYG)
13) Brock Purdy | SF (vs. DET)
14) Tua Tagovailoa | MIA (at CLE)
15) Matthew Stafford | LAR (vs. ARI)
16) C.J. Stroud | HOU (vs. BAL)
17) Patrick Mahomes | KC (at PIT)
18) Justin Herbert | LAC (at NE)
19) Caleb Williams | CHI (vs. SEA)
20) Aaron Rodgers | NYJ (at BUF)
21) Geno Smith | SEA (at CHI)
22) Russell Wilson | PIT (vs. KC)
23) Cooper Rush | DAL (at PHI)
24) Bryce Young | CAR (at TB)
25) Drake Maye | NE (vs. LAC)
26) Michael Penix Jr. | ATL (at WAS)
27) Aidan O'Connell | LV (at NO)
28) Mac Jones | JAX (vs. TEN)
29) Mason Rudolph | TEN (at JAX)
30) Tommy DeVito | NYG (vs. IND)
31) Dorian Thompson-Robinson | CLE (vs. MIA)
32) Spencer Rattler | NO (vs. LV)