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 Saturday, Herbert is projected to score 15 fantasy points in Week 17. This includes 211.1 passing yards, 1.3 passing touchdowns, and 0.4 interceptions. It also includes 2.9 rushing attempts for 11.2 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.
PFN Insight on the Patriots' Defense
Of all the elements of Jerod Mayo's start as head coach, the decline in New England's defense will be the most concerning. Having been a top-10 defense in each of the last three years, this year's demise is a major concern.
New England needed a solid defense to support its rebuilding offense, and that hasn't been the case. Even with Josh Allen handicapped by a numb throwing hand, the Patriots couldn't stop the run and recorded another below-average overall grade (70.8).
For the season, New England's defense ranks 24th in EPA per rush (0.01). Overall, the Patriots have ranked 20th or worse in 10 out of 15 games this year. They'll be massive underdogs with a pair of home games left against the Chargers and Bills, cementing this unit in the bottom five when the season ends.
For more insight on all other team defenses, head to our PFN Defense+ Metric Analysis.
Justin Herbert’s Fantasy Ranking
Our Weekly Consensus PPR Rankings are below — both positional and overall. They were last updated at 3:45 PM ET on Saturday, December 28. 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) Joe Burrow | CIN (vs. DEN)
4) Jayden Daniels | WAS (vs. ATL)
5) Baker Mayfield | TB (vs. CAR)
6) Sam Darnold | MIN (vs. GB)
7) Kyler Murray | ARI (at LAR)
8) Jordan Love | GB (at MIN)
9) Bo Nix | DEN (at CIN)
10) Jared Goff | DET (at SF)
11) Brock Purdy | SF (vs. DET)
12) Tua Tagovailoa | MIA (at CLE)
13) Matthew Stafford | LAR (vs. ARI)
14) C.J. Stroud | HOU (vs. BAL)
15) Justin Herbert | LAC (at NE)
16) Patrick Mahomes | KC (at PIT)
17) Caleb Williams | CHI (vs. SEA)
18) Aaron Rodgers | NYJ (at BUF)
19) Geno Smith | SEA (at CHI)
20) Bryce Young | CAR (at TB)
21) Cooper Rush | DAL (at PHI)
22) Joe Flacco | IND (at NYG)
23) Russell Wilson | PIT (vs. KC)
24) Michael Penix Jr. | ATL (at WAS)
25) Drake Maye | NE (vs. LAC)
26) Aidan O'Connell | LV (at NO)
27) Tyler Huntley | MIA (at CLE)
28) Mac Jones | JAX (vs. TEN)
29) Kenny Pickett | PHI (vs. DAL)
30) Mason Rudolph | TEN (at JAX)
31) Drew Lock | NYG (vs. IND)
32) Spencer Rattler | NO (vs. LV)
33) Dorian Thompson-Robinson | CLE (vs. MIA)
Chargers at Patriots Trends and Insights
Los Angeles Chargers
Team: Thursday’s win was the second time in 32 days in which the Chargers won a game in which they allowed 27+ points and lost the turnover battle – the other 31 teams had done it five times up to that point.
QB: Justin Herbert’s aggression seems to be fading. After posting a 10.1-yard average depth of throw against the Chiefs in Week 14 (his fourth double-digit effort of the season), his rate checked in at 8.2 yards in Week 15 against the Buccaneers and 6.8 in Thursday's win over the Broncos.
Offense: Los Angeles averaged a season-high 3.1 points per possession on Thursday night, punting on just 27.3% of their possessions (their fourth game this season with a sub-30% punt rate).
Defense: The Chargers eventually forced a punt after failing to do so on 16 straight drives—that’s the longest streak this season and one shy of matching the longest in franchise history.
Fantasy: Gus Edwards ran 14 times for 68 yards (43 on a single carry) and two touchdowns on Thursday night – that was the sixth instance in which a running back had two rushing touchdowns on under 15 carries since the beginning of November – teammate J.K. Dobbins was responsible for two of the other five.
Betting: Unders are 7-3 in Los Angeles’ past 10 games played on extended rest.
New England Patriots
Team: New England is in the midst of their second five-game losing streak of the season – from 2010-17, they didn’t lose five games in a single regular season.
QB: Drake Maye has completed 15-of-17 third-down passes over his past three games (88.2%)
Offense: The Patriots scored on 30% of their drives against the Bills on Sunday, matching their highest mark of the season.
Defense: New England’s defense came to play on Sunday, holding the Bills to just four-of-11 on third down (in their two games prior, they allowed a 57.7% conversion rate).
Fantasy: On his 238 touches this season, Rhamondre Stevenson has as many fumbles as rushing touchdowns (seven) and as many fumbles lost as touches gaining 30+ yards (three).
Betting: Home underdogs on short rest have covered just seven of their past 24 games.