Who Should I Start? Brock Purdy or J.J. McCarthy

Tuesday, December 2, 11:35 AM

San Francisco 49ers quarterback Brock Purdy went 16-for-29 for 168 yards and one touchdown in the team's 26-8 win over the Cleveland Browns in Week 13. Purdy's production reached season lows in completions, completion rate, and passing yards, but it was enough to finish as a top-12 quarterback in fantasy. Despite Purdy's mediocre stat line, it was an improvement over his performance against the Panthers, when he threw three interceptions and completed just one pass of 10 air yards or more. Against Cleveland, Purdy managed to complete six of his 11 such pass attempts, including a 30-yard bomb to George Kittle that set up a chip-shot field goal for Matt Gay at the end of the first half. San Francisco is on bye in Week 14, but it has favorable matchups in the fantasy football playoffs with meetings against the Titans in Week 15 and the Bears in Week 17.

Tuesday, December 9, 9:55 AM

Minnesota Vikings quarterback J.J. McCarthy led his team to a 31-0 rout of the Commanders in Week 14 in a triumphant return from injury. He threw for 163 yards and three touchdowns in the win while adding 19 rushing yards on six carries as well. McCarthy completed 16 of his 23 pass attempts in one of his best performances of the season. This week, he'll be in a tougher matchup on the road against the Cowboys, but even though Dallas's defense has shown potential, they're still giving up a lot of points. The Vikings have a favorable few weeks ahead, so McCarthy can be an interesting play if you need a second QB for the rest of the season. His rushing potential and good pass-catching weapons give him good upside, even though he has struggled to reach his high ceiling throughout his first year as the team's starter.