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

Thursday, August 14, 5:52 PM

San Francisco 49ers head coach Kyle Shanahan said that he expects to play quarterback Brock Purdy and some of the other starters in the team's second preseason contest this Saturday against the Las Vegas Raiders. Purdy did not play in the preseason opener last Saturday against the Denver Broncos, so this will be his preseason debut this year, although he probably won't play more than a couple offensive series. The 25-year-old still has low-end QB1 potential with Shanahan running the offense and running back Christian McCaffrey in the backfield, but it's also concerning that San Fran's receiving corps is so beat up right now -- Brandon Aiyuk (knee) is on the PUP list and Jauan Jenninngs (calf), Jacob Cowing (hamstring) and rookie Jordan Watkins (ankle) are all hurt. Purdy's rushing ability gives him a higher floor for fantasy, even if the Niners' offense doesn't fully bounce back.

Thursday, August 14, 9:39 PM

Minnesota Vikings quarterback J.J. McCarthy had his "best practice of camp" on Thursday and impressed with both his consistency and accuracy, according to Alec Lewis of The Athletic. Lewis notes that McCarthy had a stretch of practice where he completed 13 straight passes and threw for six touchdowns. The 22-year-old former first-round pick is preparing for his first year as an NFL starter after missing his entire rookie season with a torn meniscus in his knee. McCarthy will likely experience some growing pains, but he has a lot of playmaking talent around him in Minnesota and an excellent play-calling head coach in Kevin O'Connell. He profiles as a mid-tier QB2 in fantasy, but he's got more upside than some of the other quarterbacks being drafted in his range.