Who Should I Start? Bryce Young or J.J. McCarthy

Saturday, July 18, 5:13 AM

By fantasy finish alone, Carolina Panthers quarterback Bryce Young has shown steady improvement in each of his three seasons, rising from QB23 as a rookie to QB20 in year two and a QB19 finish last season. Obviously, his actual path has not been as linear, with a performance-based benching in 2024, and he now enters into a critical fourth season. Young demonstrated some of the highest highs of his career in 2025, throwing for 448 yards and three scores in a Week 11 overtime win over the Falcons, but he also failed to reach 200 passing yards in 12 of 17 outings. With few notable additions on the offensive side of the ball and the Panthers slated to face a first-place schedule in 2026, much will be asked of Young as he looks to earn a long-term extension. And even if he proves capable of taking another small step forward, in a year with so many fantasy-viable options at the position, Young is not a player who should factor into draft plans in single-quarterback leagues. He enters the year as RotoBaller's QB26.