Justin Herbert has thrown an interception in five straight games. ESPN Research says that's the longest active streak in the NFL. If he throws another on Sunday against the Broncos at SoFi Stadium, it will be the longest such streak by a Chargers quarterback since Philip Rivers threw at least one in eight straight games across 2016 and 2017. That isn't a franchise record or an NFL record. Rivers set the team mark, and Herbert would still be two games short of it. For fantasy managers, the streak matters less than the problem behind it.
The numbers through four games are hard to look past. Herbert has 816 passing yards, four touchdowns and six interceptions, and he's been sacked 12 times. The Chargers are 0-4, their first 0-3 start under Jim Harbaugh became 0-4 last week, and the turnovers have come at bad moments. In Week 3 at Buffalo, the Chargers led 13-10 and were near the Bills' 28-yard line when Herbert threw an end-zone interception that swung a 24-16 loss. He finished 20-of-34 for 226 yards with one touchdown, and the Bills dropped two other possible picks.
Week 4 at Seattle was worse early on. Herbert was intercepted on the first play of the game. By halftime he was 5-of-15 for 36 yards with two interceptions and a 4.8 passer rating. He rallied after the break, threw a 9-yard touchdown to Kimani Vidal and finished 19-of-31 for 189 yards. Then a strip-sack late in the fourth quarter ended the Chargers' last chance in a 30-23 loss. He also ran six times for 40 yards, which has been his most reliable source of fantasy points.
Sunday's injury report doesn't help. The Chargers ruled out right tackle Joe Alt (neck), safety Derwin James (hamstring) and offensive linemen Kayode Awosika (fibula) and Trevor Penning (concussion). Left tackle Rashawn Slater is headed to injured reserve after ankle surgery. That means Herbert, who was sacked four times in Seattle, will play without both of his starting tackles. Receivers Quentin Johnston (chest) and Brenen Thompson (quad) are out, and Ladd McConkey is questionable with a foot injury. James being out hurts the defense, which could force the Chargers to throw more than they'd like if Denver gets ahead early.
There's one real break in the matchup. Denver has ruled out cornerbacks Patrick Surtain II and Riley Moss, so the Broncos will be without their top two corners. That's the best coverage situation Herbert has had all season. It doesn't fix the protection, though, and the 2026 interceptions have come both on forced throws and under pressure.
His 2025 season shows how far he's fallen. In 16 games last year, Herbert threw for 3,727 yards with 26 touchdowns and 13 interceptions, and he added a career-high 498 rushing yards. That was roughly one interception every 1.2 games. This season he has six in four. He's averaging about 204 passing yards per game, and a quarterback with a strong track record is playing like a streaming option.
For Week 5, treat Herbert as a low-end QB2 in one-quarterback leagues. Start him only if you're stuck, and hope Denver's missing cornerbacks and his running make up for the line. In superflex leagues, he's still a starter, but expect a low floor. His rushing is the safest part of his fantasy line, and another interception would cost points in most scoring formats. Expect McConkey's status to drive the passing game. If he sits, Herbert's limited group of healthy receivers gets even thinner.