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Is Justin Herbert all charged up to be an elite quarterback this coming season?
Justin Herbert of the Los Angeles Chargers has been receiving a lot of fantasy football buzz of late. Some fans think he can make a big leap this coming year, and the crazy thing is we might not have seen the best from this young quarterback yet.
Right now, Herbert may be currently ranked below the likes of Joe Burrow and Patrick Mahomes in the fantasy selection rankings, but that might not last very long.
🚨 JUSTIN HERBERT EMERGENCY BROADCAST ALERT 🚨 pic.twitter.com/ukFg5kkLHR
— Los Angeles Chargers (@chargers) July 27, 2022
Herbert has been one of the top fantasy quarterbacks in his two seasons as the Chargers' starter. In 32 career starts, he has scored over 26 fantasy points on average. Josh Allen, in fact, was Herbert's closest competitor for second place in quarterback fantasy points last season. In eight of the 17 weeks that were played in the majority of fantasy leagues, Herbert was a top-five QB. No less than Tom Brady, the GOAT himself, was the only other quarterback to have more top-five finishes with nine.
In those 17 starts last year, Herbert completed 5,014 passing yards with 38 touchdown passes and 15 interceptions. He finished the season with a completion rating of 69.9%. Each of his completed throws resulted in 7.5 yards for the Chargers' offense. Herbert attempted 672 passes last season, which was second-most in the NFL. That had a significant positive impact on his stats.
Overall, the second-year quarterback had a top-five fantasy performance ranking in 2021. To illustrate, Herbert had nine throwing games of 300 yards or more, leading the NFL alongside Brady. He has actually thrown for 300+ yards in half of all his NFL starts, which is mind-bogglingly good. Although Herbert is not particularly known to be a good runner, last season saw him run for 302 yards and score three rushing touchdowns. That's not bad for a player whom scouts once described as someone who would struggle in critical moments.
Justin Herbert 2022 Fantasy Football Outlook
In the National Fantasy Football Championship's early draft period, Herbert has been routinely drafted as the third quarterback off the board. His strengths include scoring and making a lot of pass attempts. Prospective owners hope his next big step is to generate more passing touchdowns. Experts project that Herbert will likely outscore Patrick Mahomes this season. He is on track for 5,500 total yards with a high floor of touchdowns at 38.
Many people wondered if Herbert would be able to top his outstanding rookie season. He went one better by surpassing all of the top passing stats in 2021. Take note that he joins only a handful of quarterbacks who have had consecutive seasons with 30+ passing touchdowns entering their third season. That number of TDs should actually increase with the Chargers' upgraded offensive line this offseason. If Herbert spends more time in the pocket, he will complete more passes to wide receivers Keenan Allen and Mike Williams as well as lead back Austin Ekeler coming out of the backfield. Herbert might very well have another outstanding statistical season in 2022.
Most 300-yard passing games before turning 24:
17 — Justin Herbert
16
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12 — Patrick Mahomes pic.twitter.com/ACy64WeiQa— StatMuse (@statmuse) July 26, 2022
Last year, the Chargers' offense placed in the top six. It is fair to assume that the unit will run more effectively in 2022. To compound things, having another year under offensive coordinator Joe Lombardi can only help Herbert. He will undoubtedly progress even more this coming year. That helps the young quarterback get a better understanding of their playbook, and that should make him even more dangerous. During OTAs and minicamp so far, Herbert has focused on improving the Chargers' passing game while also working on the timing with his primary targets.
Fans and experts alike clearly saw Herbert's prowess in the 2021 season. A closer examination of the data reveals that his performance was in line with what may be expected of an elite fantasy asset. Remember that Herbert is a typical pocket quarterback who prefers the deep throw downfield. Few of his peers, in fact, can equal his arm strength or pocket accuracy. This is one reason Herbert would unquestionably rank among the top three quarterbacks in most fantasy drafts.
The unsolicited advice for any prospective owner is they cannot go wrong by picking Herbert early in upcoming 2022 league drafts. The tantalizing thing about Herbert is his having a high floor and even higher upside. That alone justifies him as a probable top three choice. As opposed to other possible picks, Herbert's selection is more significant because of his potential for this season's points. His weekly value might even rise to 30 points in 2022.
Serious drafters claim that just a small number of players have the capacity to finish first in their league in terms of fantasy point totals. Herbert is one of the participants.
