Who Should I Start? Gardner Minshew II or J.J. McCarthy
Week 1 Projections
| Fant. Pts. |
Rush. Yds. |
Rush TD |
Rec. | Rec. Yds. |
Rec TD |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1.9 | 0.7 | 0.0 | 0.0 | 0.0 | 0.0 |
Gardner Minshew II News
Sunday, August 23, 12:40 AM
Arizona Cardinals quarterback Gardner Minshew II went 19-for-23 for 177 yards with one interception in Saturday's preseason loss to the Dallas Cowboys. With Jacoby Brissett resting and Carson Beck (ribs) still recovering from a hard shot taken in the Hall of Fame Game on August 6, Minshew operated as the team's signal-caller until K Slovis took over late in the third quarter. Minshew threw an interception on Arizona's first possession but settled in after that, keeping his stat sheet clean by focusing on short-yardage targets. Minshew had a passing touchdown negated by an offensive pass interference flag on the receiver, tight end Rivaldo Fairweather. He was later robbed of a rushing touchdown due to a false start call. The journeyman backup sits second on Arizona's depth chart and will not be relevant for fantasy unless Brissett suffers an injury. Minshew's final chance for a tuneup will come on August 28, when the Cardinals face the Packers in their preseason finale.
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.
Gardner Minshew II vs. J.J. McCarthy
Still trying to decide between Minshew II and McCarthy? Check on the latest news to make sure both players are active and healthy. Our PPR projections show that Gardner Minshew II is projected to score 1.9 points this week while J.J. McCarthy is projected to score 1.5 points.
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