Who Should I Start? Dillon Gabriel or J.J. McCarthy


Week 1 Projections

Fant.
Pts.
Rush.
Yds.
Rush
TD
Rec. Rec.
Yds.
Rec
TD
1.2 0.6 0.0 0.0 0.0 0.0

Dillon Gabriel News

Dillon Gabriel Competing for Depth Role in Cleveland

Friday, June 26, 9:51 AM

Cleveland Browns second-year quarterback Dillon Gabriel has "had a very nice spring," but he will enter training camp at the end of July competing for a depth role behind Deshaun Watson and Shedeur Sanders, according to Mary Kay Cabot of The Cleveland Plain Dealer. After being surprisingly selected before Sanders in the third round (94th overall) last year out of the University of Oregon, Gabriel went on to appear in 10 games (six starts) while throwing for 937 yards, seven touchdowns, and two interceptions on 185 pass attempts. The 25-year-old southpaw will essentially be competing for the No. 3 QB role this summer with rookie sixth-rounder Taylen Green. When healthy and in a starting role in 2025 in his rookie season, Gabriel looked mostly like an underwhelming game manager, but to be fair, he didn't have a ton of help around him on offense. Gabriel will enter his sophomore campaign completely off the redraft fantasy radar.


Week 1 Projections

Fant.
Pts.
Rush.
Yds.
Rush
TD
Rec. Rec.
Yds.
Rec
TD
1.5 1.3 0.0 0.0 0.0 0.0

J.J. McCarthy News

J.J. McCarthy Carries Dynasty Buy-Low Appeal into 2026

Wednesday, July 22, 9:12 AM

Minnesota Vikings quarterback J.J. McCarthy struggled in his first chance to be an NFL starter in 2025. McCarthy missed seven games due to ankle, concussion, and hand issues and finished the year with 1,632 passing yards, 11 touchdowns, and 12 interceptions. Minnesota brought in some significant competition for McCarthy in free agency, signing veteran quarterback Kyler Murray. Given Murray's established track record from his time with the Arizona Cardinals, it wouldn't be a surprise if McCarthy is limited to QB2 duties in 2026. However, the Vikings reportedly plan to allow the battle between Murray and McCarthy to run through training camp and the preseason. McCarthy is just 23 years old, and Minnesota could still view him as a key piece of the team's future. McCarthy also brings some fantasy juice with his legs, as he rushed for 181 yards and four touchdowns in 10 games last season. With his value at a low point, McCarthy could be a worthy buy-low candidate for dynasty managers.


Dillon Gabriel vs. J.J. McCarthy

Still trying to decide between Gabriel and McCarthy? Check on the latest news to make sure both players are active and healthy. Our PPR projections show that Dillon Gabriel is projected to score 1.2 points this week while J.J. McCarthy is projected to score 1.5 points.