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
Monday, August 31, 10:47 AM
Cleveland Browns head coach Todd Monken does not think that quarterback Dillon Gabriel's (back) injury is a major injury, according to Zac Jackson of The Athletic. Monken thinks Gabriel first injured his back on a third-down run in the preseason finale last Thursday against the New England Patriots. With Gabriel opening the 2026 regular season on Injured Reserve (he will be required to miss at least the first four weeks), rookie Taylen Green and Shedeur Sanders will split scout-team reps in the next two weeks. As long as Gabriel does not suffer a setback with his back in the next couple of weeks, he should be ready to rejoin the 53-man roster for Week 5. For now, the second-year QB's injury allows the Browns to keep Green on their active roster as the QB3 behind Sanders and starter Deshaun Watson. The 25-year-old former third-rounder from Oregon failed to do much outside of short-area throws as a rookie, throwing for 937 yards, seven touchdowns, and two interceptions in 10 games (six starts) before an injury opened up the starting gig for Sanders the rest of the season in 2025.
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
Wednesday, September 2, 10:15 AM
Minnesota Vikings general manager Nolan Teasley said on Wednesday that he expects quarterback J.J. McCarthy (ankle), who has practiced in full the last two days, to be on the Week 1 roster, according to Alec Lewis of The Athletic. However, Teasley would not discuss whether McCarthy would be the backup to starter Kyler Murray over veteran Carson Wentz. The 23-year-old former 10th overall pick from Michigan in 2024 injured his ankle in the second preseason game and then was held out of the preseason finale, leading to speculation that the Vikings might cut McCarthy altogether if they could not find a trade partner for him. Not only will he be on the Week 1 roster, but McCarthy could still win the backup job now that he appears to be recovered from his ankle injury. McCarthy missed his entire rookie season after having knee surgery, and he flopped as the full-time starter in 2025, throwing for 1,632 yards, 11 touchdowns, and 12 interceptions in only 10 games while dealing with multiple injuries. His dynasty/keeper stock is at an all-time low going into the start of the 2026 season.
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.
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