Who Should I Start? J.J. McCarthy or Cameron Ward

Friday, August 29, 10:41 AM

Jeff Howe of The Athletic writes that the Minnesota Vikings' offense "has been scaled down with quarterback J.J. McCarthy taking over." Howe also notes that there's "measured optimism" in league circles around McCarthy's future, but that a "seamless transition" should not be expected. The 22-year-old is taking over for the departed Sam Darnold under center in Minnesota after Darnold led the Vikings to a 14-3 record in 2024. McCarthy has drawn favorable reviews for his play in training camp and the preseason, but there's always a level of unknown for a player who has not seen the field in an actual NFL game. McCarthy profiles as a high-end QB2 in redraft fantasy leagues.

Saturday, August 30, 1:05 PM

The Athletic's Jeff Howe writes that the Tennessee Titans "have been thrilled" with rookie first-round quarterback Cameron Ward's work ethic early on. Ward has showed up around 5 am every day during training camp to start his workout and is frequently bringing other players with him. That leadership is an important quality, although it doesn't mean that Ward isn't going to be a stud right away in his first NFL season. The 23-year-old is going to start right away for the Titans after they took him first overall in April's draft. Fantasy managers should expect a steep learning curve in an offense with Calvin Ridley as the WR1 and not much else behind him. Ward has "come as advertised," but the ups and downs he showed in the preseason are likely to continue into a very difficult Week 1 matchup on the road against a Denver Broncos defense that should be one of the best in the league again in 2025.