Who Should I Start? Baker Mayfield or J.J. McCarthy
Week 1 Projections
| Fant. Pts. |
Rush. Yds. |
Rush TD |
Rec. | Rec. Yds. |
Rec TD |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 23.8 | 19.6 | 0.1 | 0.0 | 0.0 | 0.0 |
Baker Mayfield News
Tuesday, September 8, 1:24 PM
Two-time Pro Bowl quarterback Baker Mayfield and the Tampa Bay Buccaneers agreed to a three-year contract extension worth $165 million on Tuesday that will prevent him from becoming a free agent after the 2026 season, according to Adam Schefter of ESPN and Ian Rapoport of the NFL Network. Mayfield broke off contract talks with the team as training camp opened at the end of July, but with the regular season kicking off this week, a deal was revisited and agreed upon. The 31-year-old veteran was a Pro Bowler in each of his first two seasons in Tampa in 2023 and 2024, but he played through injuries in 2025 and dropped down to 3,693 passing yards, 26 touchdowns, and 11 interceptions in 17 games and failed to make the postseason. Mayfield's fantasy football stock is down overall heading into the 2026 campaign with top wideout Mike Evans now in San Francisco and Emeka Egbuka (toe) and Jalen McMillan (knee) banged up going into the season opener this Sunday. However, he should still be considered a midrange QB2 in superflex leagues, and he has some QB1 upside in Week 1 in a matchup against the Cincinnati Bengals.
Week 1 Projections
| Fant. Pts. |
Rush. Yds. |
Rush TD |
Rec. | Rec. Yds. |
Rec TD |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 0.0 | 0.0 | 0.0 | 0.0 | 0.0 | 0.0 |
J.J. McCarthy News
Wednesday, September 2, 10:15 AM
Minnesota Vikings general manager Nolan Teasley said on Wednesday that he expects quarterback J.J. McCarthy (ankle), who has practiced in full the last two days, to be on the Week 1 roster, according to Alec Lewis of The Athletic. However, Teasley would not discuss whether McCarthy would be the backup to starter Kyler Murray over veteran Carson Wentz. The 23-year-old former 10th overall pick from Michigan in 2024 injured his ankle in the second preseason game and then was held out of the preseason finale, leading to speculation that the Vikings might cut McCarthy altogether if they could not find a trade partner for him. Not only will he be on the Week 1 roster, but McCarthy could still win the backup job now that he appears to be recovered from his ankle injury. McCarthy missed his entire rookie season after having knee surgery, and he flopped as the full-time starter in 2025, throwing for 1,632 yards, 11 touchdowns, and 12 interceptions in only 10 games while dealing with multiple injuries. His dynasty/keeper stock is at an all-time low going into the start of the 2026 season.
Baker Mayfield vs. J.J. McCarthy
Still trying to decide between Mayfield and McCarthy? Check on the latest news to make sure both players are active and healthy. Our PPR projections show that Baker Mayfield is projected to score 23.8 points this week while J.J. McCarthy is projected to score 0.0 points.
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