Who Should I Start? Deshaun Watson or J.J. McCarthy

Tuesday, November 11, 11:06 AM

The Cleveland Browns will not open the 21-day practice window for quarterback Deshaun Watson (Achilles) this week, despite him showing great progress in his recovery, according to Mary Kay Cabot of Cleveland.com. Watson continues to recover from the injury suffered in Week 7 of last season, in addition to a re-rupturing of his Achilles, but isn't quite ready to practice yet. It remains uncertain if he will return this season or play for Cleveland at all in the future. In the meantime, rookie Dillon Gabriel will continue to start at quarterback for Cleveland.

Wednesday, November 12, 6:08 PM

Updating a previous report, Minnesota Vikings quarterback J.J. McCarthy (hand) was officially limited in practice on Wednesday, according to Alec Lewis of The Athletic. McCarthy had some swelling in his right throwing hand after hitting it on a helmet during Sunday's loss to the Baltimore Ravens. While the second-year signal-caller may be a bit limited in practice this week as a result, he's fully expected to play this Sunday against the Chicago Bears in Week 11. The 22-year-old former first-rounder finished 20-for-42 passing for a career-high 248 yards, a touchdown, and two interceptions in the Week 10 loss to the Ravens. McCarthy started strong but struggled to put drives together after the first quarter. He has shown upside in his first four NFL games in 2025 after missing all of 2024 with a knee injury. However, fantasy managers hoping for more for the rest of this year must be willing to live with the ups and downs as he continues to develop.