Jared Goff vs Justin Herbert: Who Should You Start?
Jared Goff (17.9 PPG) and Justin Herbert (18.7 PPG) produced nearly identical fantasy numbers in 2025. When two quarterbacks are this close on a per-game basis, the weekly matchup matters more than the season-long resume. Jared Goff played 17 games for the Detroit Lions; Justin Herbert suited up 16 times for the Los Angeles Chargers.
A 0.8-point per-game gap over a full season is essentially noise. It means one extra catch, one fewer target, or a single broken play away from flipping the script. For a weekly start/sit call between these two, matchup analysis matters far more than the season line.
Justin Herbert offers meaningful rushing upside with 498 yards on the ground in 2025, which separates his floor from a pocket passer like Jared Goff (4564 passing yards, 34 touchdowns). In games where the passing matchup looks ugly, that rushing production can be the entire difference on a start/sit call.
Both share a Week 5 bye, which matters for roster construction. If you are stacking quarterbacks this deep on your bench, plan your replacement quarterback early.
