Who Should I Start? Baker Mayfield or J.J. McCarthy

START

Week 2 Projections

Fant.
Pts.		 Rush.
Yds.		 Rush
TD		 Rec. Rec.
Yds.		 Rec
TD
24.0 19.1 0.1 0.0 0.0 0.0

Baker Mayfield News

Baker Mayfield Still a High-Upside Target Despite Week 1 Dip

Monday, September 14, 9:48 PM

Tampa Bay Buccaneers quarterback Baker Mayfield had four turnovers in Week 1 against the Cincinnati Bengals, leading to an apparent decline in his fantasy stock. However, fantasy managers shouldn't overreact to one bad week, especially when Mayfield has had games like this before. The 31-year-old plays with a level of recklessness, and although it led to three fumbles on Sunday, he's just as capable of harnessing that playing style and dropping three or four touchdowns. He's a high-ceiling, low-floor fantasy quarterback, and he's worth rostering in most leagues simply due to his talent, track record, and strong supporting cast. Dropping a dud game against a subpar Bengals defense is far from ideal, but he should bounce back against an even worse Browns squad in Week 2. He continues to rank as a mid-range QB2 with QB1 upside depending on the matchup. There's rest-of-season appeal here, but he's also a very intriguing short-term streamer.

BENCH

Week 2 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

J.J. McCarthy Demoted to Third-String Role

Wednesday, September 9, 10:51 AM

Minnesota Vikings head coach Kevin O'Connell told reporters on Wednesday that veteran quarterback Carson Wentz is the backup to starter Kyler Murray and that J.J. McCarthy is the third-stringer to open the 2026 season, according to Ian Rapoport of the NFL Network. It will be a week-to-week evaluation. "This gives us the best chance to win," O'Connell said. The writing was on the wall for the 23-year-old former first-rounder from Michigan when the Vikings signed Murray to a one-year deal this offseason in free agency. McCarthy lost out in the training camp QB battle to Murray, and after struggling in the preseason and getting banged up, he will enter his third year in the NFL as the team's QB3. In his first full season as the Vikings' starter in 2025, McCarthy only played in 10 games due to various injuries and struggled with his accuracy, completing 140 of his 243 pass attempts for 1,632 yards, 11 touchdowns, and 12 interceptions. McCarthy's best path back to fantasy relevance in dynasty/keeper leagues might be a trade out of Minnesota at this point.

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 24.0 points this week while J.J. McCarthy is projected to score 0.0 points.