JustinHerbert

News: 7 hours agoHerbert (ankle) was listed as a limited practice participant Thursday.

Spin: After logging a 'DNP' on Wednesday, Herbert's return to a limited session a day later has him trending in the right direction ahead of Sunday's game against the Steelers. Per Kris Rhim of ESPN.com, the QB appeared to have his right ankle heavily taped Thursday, so it remains to be seen if Herbert will be able to upgrade to full participation Friday. If that doesn't occur, he'd be likely to head into the weekend with a Week 3 injury designation.

ESPN Fantasy Projection: While Herbert is one of the league's most talented quarterbacks, he is saddled with starting for a Jim Harbaugh rebuild that's precariously thin on receiving talent. In the past three seasons, Herbert is third in passing yards per game (274.1), fourth among qualifiers in Total QBR (65.3) and he has averaged 19.1 fantasy points per game. That latter number placed eighth at the position, in large part because Herbert couldn't get things done behind a sputtering running game and with Mike Williams and Keenan Allen missing time due to injury in 2023. Allen and Williams are now elsewhere, and Harbaugh appears committed to a run-oriented offense. Herbert might struggle to deliver the fantasy goods, making him more of a matchup play for 2024.