The Los Angeles Chargers are a popular bounce-back team for many NFL pundits entering the 2024 season, with the addition of new head coach Jim Harbaugh leading the effort to help them get back on track.
Yet, star quarterback Justin Herbert’s injury status has already been a major talking point for the Chargers as the season opener approaches. Here is the latest injury update we have on Herbert and the potential fantasy football impact of his lingering foot issue on the Chargers’ offense for Week 1.
Latest Injury Update on Justin Herbert
The status of L.A.’s franchise QB is being brought into question for their Week 1 showdown against the Las Vegas Raiders after appearing on the team’s injury report with a foot injury.
#Chargers will be adding QB Justin Herbert (foot) to the injury report after they said they were advised to do so by the league.
According to the team, nothing has changed since Herbert practiced Wednesday, other than the guidance from the league.
— Daniel Popper (@danielrpopper) September 5, 2024
A recent report from Daniel Popper on X suggests the league advised the organization to add the star quarterback to the injury report.
Will Herbert Play This Week?
To be fair to the Chargers, Herbert returned to practice a while ago and still practiced on Wednesday — which certainly suggests he is trending in the right direction toward being on the field for Los Angeles’ season opener.
For some additional context, Herbert was sidelined by this plantar fascia injury back in early August — which had Chargers fans and fantasy managers alike holding their breath about his 2024 fantasy outlook.
Fortunately, Herbert looks like he’s healthy enough to begin the season as the starter, which should help everyone collectively exhale regarding his Week 1 and season-long status.
What Does This Mean for Ladd McConkey and Joshua Palmer’s Fantasy Ranking?
Joshua Palmer and Ladd McConkey enter Week 1 with a potentially exciting fantasy opportunity to emerge as the Chargers’ WR1 in a passing attack that saw the departure of veterans like Keenan Allen, Mike Williams, and Austin Ekeler.
Unfortunately, the fantasy optimism around both of these players is closely tied to the idea of a healthy Herbert under center in Week 1.
Fantasy Football WR Rankings for Week 1
30) Brian Thomas Jr. | Jacksonville Jaguars (at MIA)
31) Terry McLaurin | Washington Commanders (at TB)
32) Ladd McConkey | Los Angeles Chargers (vs. LV)
33) Chris Godwin | Tampa Bay Buccaneers (vs. WAS)
34) Christian Kirk | Jacksonville Jaguars (at MIA)
35) Tee Higgins | Cincinnati Bengals (vs. NE)
36) Khalil Shakir | Buffalo Bills (vs. ARI)
37) Rome Odunze | Chicago Bears (vs. TEN)
38) Xavier Worthy | Kansas City Chiefs (vs. BAL)
39) Calvin Ridley | Tennessee Titans (at CHI)
40) Tank Dell | Houston Texans (at IND)
41) Diontae Johnson | Carolina Panthers (at NO)
42) Jaxon Smith-Njigba | Seattle Seahawks (vs. DEN)
43) Christian Watson | Green Bay Packers (at PHI)
44) Courtland Sutton | Denver Broncos (at SEA)
45) Jordan Addison | Minnesota Vikings (at NYG)
46) Keenan Allen | Chicago Bears (vs. TEN)
47) Tyler Lockett | Seattle Seahawks (vs. DEN)
48) Jakobi Meyers | Las Vegas Raiders (at LAC)
49) Keon Coleman | Buffalo Bills (vs. ARI)
50) Jameson Williams | Detroit Lions (vs. LAR)
51) Joshua Palmer | Los Angeles Chargers (vs. LV)
Since Herbert appears to be trending in the right direction, I won’t be projecting any sort of drastic drop in the rankings for McConkey or Palmer. I have them both as Flex-worthy options against a Raiders secondary that allowed the third-highest yards after catch (YAC) in the league in 2023.
Should Herbert be unavailable for the season opener, I would certainly bump McConkey down the rankings a bit in the WR4 range. However, Palmer would still rank inside the top 55 wide receivers due to his established rapport with Easton Stick from last season.