Justin Herbert is attempting to play through a rib injury on Sunday and may need a pain shot to do so.
Fans of the Los Angeles Chargers probably shudder in unison at the notion of that, but it appears that the team is taking all required safety measures.
Chris Mortensen of ESPN reports that if Herbert elects to receive a pain injection, the Chargers’ medical staff will help with the procedure using an ultrasound imaging monitor. Additionally, a waiver informing Herbert of the dangers of the injection would need to be signed.
It’s reasonable to say fantasy managers anticipated Herbert to start up until the Chargers’ bye week in Week 8. Herbert was QB4 in our live draught trends. Fantasy managers must take Herbert’s backup into account as well as alternative streaming choices if Herbert is unavailable. Over the course of his career, Daniel has started five games and has averaged 220.6 passing yards and 14 fantasy points per game. On Sunday, it is feasible to anticipate this statistical output from him.
Doctors have advised Herbert to take the “long perspective,” Mortensen adds. This particular ailment, which has been described as cracked rib cartilage, would not be helped by wearing a rib protector.
Although most of what Mortensen said is common practice, what occurred to Tyrod Taylor back in 2020 makes it significant. David S. Gazzaniga, the club physician for the Chargers, gave Taylor a pain shot so that he could play through a rib injury in Week 2. Taylor was unable to play after the injection because he had a ruptured lung. Taylor began in Herbert’s place as a rookie, and he never looked back.
Expect the offence to rely heavily on Austin Ekeler and the ground game if Herbert is absent. Ekeler has only averaged 14.8 fantasy points while averaging 20.5 touches per game. After leading the NFL with 20 touchdowns last season, he has yet to score this year. This is mostly due to the Chargers’ rushing attack’s early-season struggles to establish a rhythm, which included using Sony Michel and Joshua Kelley as part of a trio of rushers in the backfield. Through the first two weeks of the season, Los Angeles has only averaged 76 rushing yards and 2.8 yards per run.
Los Angeles’ offensive line is also injured. Trey Pipkins III at right tackle and starting centre Corey Linsley at the centre are both listed as questionable due to injuries to their feet. Davon Hamilton, a defensive tackle for the Jaguars, should be able to stop the run and be a troublesome pass rusher, making the Chargers’ offence unbalanced. Ekeler would be more of an RB2 for me on Sunday.
The team physician for the Chargers is still Gazzaniga. Taylor is presently suing him in relation to the 2020 incident.
Daniel would undoubtedly hurt the Chargers’ passing offence if he were on the field. With a hamstring injury, Keenan Allen is uncertain, but if he plays, either QB should target him frequently. Given that the majority of Allen’s fantasy performance comes from a high volume of receptions, he projects as a low-end WR2 versus the Jaguars.
Williams has a limited ceiling with Daniel at the helm but is still on the flex radar despite Allen’s situation. The game’s total is only 42.5 points, therefore I don’t expect to see many touchdowns scored. Josh Palmer and Gerald Everett should not be started in fantasy lineups, either.
For Sunday’s game against the Jacksonville Jaguars, Herbert will be decided at the last minute. If he chooses to rest rather than play through the injury, he might miss many weeks of action.