Herbert ($5,900) sprained his ankle last Sunday vs. the Chiefs. He is also dealing with a thigh injury. As a result, Herbert has yet to practice this week ahead of Sunday’s matchup with the Buccaneers. McConkey ($6,300; knee/shoulder) missed last Sunday’s loss to the Chiefs, but he is trending towards playing Sunday after getting a limited practice in on Wednesday.
Herbert has yet to miss a game this season and could play this Sunday, but there is a chance if he suits up, he isn’t 100% healthy. When asked about Herbert spraining his ankle vs. the Chiefs, Los Angeles OC Greg Roman said “It changed a lot about what we did” and “You have to change your approach.”
That being said, Hebert still did complete 70% of his passes in the tough road matchup vs. Kansas City and the Chargers threw the ball 57.9% of the time. So, if the quarterback is active, you have to continue starting McConkey. The rookie is leading the Chargers with a 24.9% target share, including seven targets over 20 yards and six redzone targets.
McConkey ranks 10th in FPTS per snap among receivers this season (0.33). This is a great matchup with Tampa Bay using zone coverage at the highest rate in the NFL this season.
Now, if Herbert is out, McConkey will see a huge hit to his fantasy stock. Taylor Heinicke ($4,400) would be the next man up at quarterback if Herbert was inactive. While Heinicke has only thrown two passes this season, he made four starts with the Falcons last season and averaged an underwhelming 5.8 YPA in those games. Furthermore, Heinicke threw for four touchdowns to four picks.
The Chargers’ offense as a whole would likely struggle mightily if Herbert was out, and you might have a better receiver on your bench to start over McConkey if that is the case.
The Crown Is Yours: Sign up for DraftKings and experience the ultimate host for games and betting experiences!
All odds provided by DraftKings Sportsbook and all odds subject to change.
I am a promoter at DraftKings and am also an avid fan and user (my username is Hunta512) and may sometimes play on my personal account in the games that I offer advice on. Although I have expressed my personal view on the games and strategies above, they do not necessarily reflect the view(s) of DraftKings and do not constitute a representation that any particular strategy will guarantee success. All customers should use their own skills and judgment in building lineups. I may also deploy different players and strategies than what I recommend above. I am not an employee of DraftKings and do not have access to any non-public information.
