Who Should I Start? J.J. McCarthy or Shedeur Sanders
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
Sunday, August 23, 7:32 AM
Minnesota Vikings head coach Kevin O'Connell said that backup quarterback J.J. McCarthy would have played longer in Saturday's preseason loss to the Baltimore Ravens if he had not gotten "banged up" during a rough first quarter, according to Kevin Seifert of ESPN. McCarthy only played 18 offensive snaps over four series in the first quarter and struggled with his accuracy while taking three hits and a sack. O'Connell was hoping to send McCarthy out for at least one more possession. The Vikings have not revealed a specific injury, but it is notable after several injury-plagued seasons in Minnesota to begin his NFL career after he was taken 10th overall out of Michigan in 2024. McCarthy missed his entire rookie season due to a torn meniscus in his right knee and missed seven games in 2025 with a high right-ankle sprain and a concussion. He also missed time with a hairline fracture in his right hand. He finished 5-for-10 passing for 81 yards against Baltimore on Saturday. While McCarthy might be banged up, it is unlikely that he will not be ready for the start of the regular season in several weeks as the QB2 behind Kyler Murray.
Week 1 Projections
| Fant. Pts. |
Rush. Yds. |
Rush TD |
Rec. | Rec. Yds. |
Rec TD |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 8.6 | 8.2 | 0.1 | 0.0 | 0.0 | 0.0 |
Shedeur Sanders News
Monday, August 24, 6:27 AM
Cleveland Browns quarterback Shedeur Sanders famously fell to the fifth round of the 2025 NFL Draft, but he found the field for seven starts as a rookie and was eventually named a Pro Bowl alternate. He spent his second training camp in a battle with veteran Deshaun Watson, and on Monday, head coach Todd Monken named Watson as the starter, with NFL Insider Jordan Schultz reporting that Sanders will serve as his backup. Sanders looked sharp to start Saturday's preseason game against the Bills, but threw a late interception with the inconsistency that has plagued him throughout camp creeping into a live game scenario. While Watson did not perform any better on Saturday, completing only 41.7% of his passes and throwing an interception of his own, he showed enough throughout camp to win a battle with no obvious separator. Sanders has been drafted as the consensus QB29 throughout fantasy draft season, but Monday's news is certain to push him off of draft boards.
J.J. McCarthy vs. Shedeur Sanders
Still trying to decide between McCarthy and Sanders? Check on the latest news to make sure both players are active and healthy. Our PPR projections show that J.J. McCarthy is projected to score 1.5 points this week while Shedeur Sanders is projected to score 8.6 points.
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