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


Week 1 Projections

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0.0 0.0 0.0 0.0 0.0 0.0

Baker Mayfield News

Baker Mayfield Looking to Bounce Back in Contract Year

Wednesday, May 6, 7:29 AM

Tampa Bay Buccaneers quarterback Baker Mayfield still finished as the QB12 in fantasy football last season, but it was a down year by his standards. He had been the QB10 and QB4 in the previous two seasons, and he finished 2025 with a relatively underwhelming stat line of 3,693 yards, 26 touchdowns, and 11 interceptions. While some of the blame can be attributed to a wide receiver room that struggled to stay healthy, we would have liked to see him prevail and continue to produce, especially since it's such a talented wide receiver depth chart. Mike Evans departed in free agency, but with Chris Godwin Jr., Emeka Egbuka, and Jalen McMillan at his disposal, Mayfield still has plenty of targets who can help him get back to the top-eight range in fantasy football. He could also benefit from a coaching staff change, as the Bucs brought in Zac Robinson to replace offensive coordinator Josh Grizzard. Furthermore, there could be some added motivation from the fact that Mayfield is heading into a contract year. If he doesn't sign an extension before the season, there's a chance he could be showcasing himself for all 32 teams. With that being said, there's also slightly less certainty about his future beyond 2026, which is why we've seen him drop to QB19 in RotoBaller's dynasty fantasy football rankings.


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

Is J.J. McCarthy Worth Buying Low?

Wednesday, April 22, 5:40 AM

Minnesota Vikings quarterback J.J. McCarthy has had a tumultuous start to his NFL career. While Caleb Williams, Jayden Daniels, Drake Maye, and Bo Nix, fellow quarterbacks taken in the 2024 NFL Draft, have all seen their dynasty stock rise tremendously through their first two years in the league, McCarthy's has been in free fall. After missing the entire 2024 season with a torn meniscus sustained in the preseason, McCarthy struggled mightily in what was essentially a redshirt rookie season, throwing for 163.2 yards per game while tossing 11 touchdowns to 12 interceptions, all the while dealing with nagging injuries and rumors of a soft benching. Heading into his third season, the Vikings have brought in former Cardinal Kyler Murray on a one-year deal. While Murray has faced his own on-field struggles of late, the presumption is that he should have the inside track to Minnesota's starting job in 2026, and after peaking as high as QB12 before ever taking a regular-season snap, McCarthy has fallen to RotoBaller's dynasty QB28. While things currently look bleak for his NFL future, it's important to remember that McCarthy is only 23 and has made just 10 professional starts. With Murray's deal only tying him to the Vikings for one season, a lot can happen between now and the point when Minnesota will need to make a decision on McCarthy's fifth-year option. Depending on just how low his stock dips, he could still be a worthwhile dart-throw acquisition for rebuilding dynasty managers.


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