Who Should I Start? Brock Purdy or J.J. McCarthy
Week 1 Projections
| Fant. Pts. |
Rush. Yds. |
Rush TD |
Rec. | Rec. Yds. |
Rec TD |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 25.2 | 15.6 | 0.2 | 0.0 | 0.0 | 0.0 |
Brock Purdy News
Thursday, September 10, 8:50 AM
San Francisco 49ers quarterback Brock Purdy lost out on eight games of production in 2025 while dealing with turf toe. In nine games, Purdy threw for 2,167 yards, 20 touchdowns, and 10 interceptions. Now healthy and bearing the weight of the $250 million contract he signed prior to last season, Purdy needs to start 2026 on the right foot. San Francisco brought in wide receivers Mike Evans, rookie De'Zhaun Stribling, and Deebo Samuel Sr. in the offseason, and Purdy still has Christian McCaffrey (undisclosed) as a safety valve. Tight end George Kittle (Achilles) will be active but is expected to be on a pitch count. Purdy will not have it easy against the Rams after they bolstered their defense with the additions of Myles Garrett, Trent McDuffie, and Jaylen Watson. If San Francisco's offensive line can keep him safe, Purdy can have a productive day given the options around him. He projects as a high-end QB2 in RotoBaller's Week 1 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
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.
Brock Purdy vs. J.J. McCarthy
Still trying to decide between Purdy and McCarthy? Check on the latest news to make sure both players are active and healthy. Our PPR projections show that Brock Purdy is projected to score 25.2 points this week while J.J. McCarthy is projected to score 0.0 points.
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