Who Should I Start? Andy Dalton or J.J. McCarthy
Week 1 Projections
| Fant. Pts. |
Rush. Yds. |
Rush TD |
Rec. | Rec. Yds. |
Rec TD |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1.0 | 0.4 | 0.0 | 0.0 | 0.0 | 0.0 |
Andy Dalton News
Thursday, August 20, 12:24 PM
Philadelphia Eagles quarterback Andy Dalton "still appears to be the leader" in the team's backup quarterback battle, according to Zach Berman of The Athletic. Dalton had a rough showing in the Eagles' first preseason game against the Baltimore Ravens last Saturday, but Berman writes that the veteran "showed improvement" during the team's joint practice session with the New England Patriots on Wednesday. Dalton's competition for the QB2 role behind Jalen Hurts in Philadelphia is Tanner McKee, who has played in six games (two starts) since being picked by the Eagles in the sixth round of the 2023 Draft. Dalton obviously has significantly more NFL experience, as he's logged 169 career starts across 15 seasons. As long as Hurts stays healthy, neither Dalton nor McKee will play a fantasy-relevant role. Still, fantasy managers in deeper, two-quarterback formats looking for the handcuff option to Hurts may want to target Dalton.
Week 1 Projections
| Fant. Pts. |
Rush. Yds. |
Rush TD |
Rec. | Rec. Yds. |
Rec TD |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1.5 | 1.3 | 0.0 | 0.0 | 0.0 | 0.0 |
J.J. McCarthy News
Wednesday, August 26, 10:34 AM
Minnesota Vikings head coach Kevin O'Connell said that quarterback J.J. McCarthy (ankle) is getting a day off from training camp practice on Wednesday for an ankle injury that he suffered in last Saturday's preseason game against the Baltimore Ravens, according to Alec Lewis of The Athletic. The Vikings are hoping to have McCarthy start their preseason finale on Friday in Denver against the Broncos as he continues to compete with veteran Carson Wentz for the QB2 job behind starter Kyler Murray. The 23-year-old McCarthy's ankle injury obviously is not serious, but his fantasy stock in dynasty/keeper leagues has never been lower after he lost the starting QB battle to Murray. If McCarthy loses the backup job to Wentz, he will become a prime trade candidate before the start of the 2026 season. The former 10th overall pick from Michigan missed his entire rookie season in 2024 due to knee surgery and then played in only 10 games in 2025 while completing 57.6% of his passes for 1,632 yards, 11 touchdowns, and 12 interceptions for the Vikes.
Andy Dalton vs. J.J. McCarthy
Still trying to decide between Dalton and McCarthy? Check on the latest news to make sure both players are active and healthy. Our PPR projections show that Andy Dalton is projected to score 1.0 points this week while J.J. McCarthy is projected to score 1.5 points.
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