Who Should I Start? Jared Goff or J.J. McCarthy

Thursday, July 23, 12:00 PM

Detroit Lions quarterback Jared Goff keeps following the same fantasy pattern. He piles up passing numbers, finishes among the top 10, then gets pushed down draft boards because he offers almost nothing with his legs. Goff was the QB9 last season after completing 68% of his passes for 4,564 yards, 34 touchdowns, and eight interceptions. He added only 45 rushing yards and did not score on the ground. Detroit gives him enough help to survive that limitation. Amon-Ra St. Brown, Jameson Williams, Jahmyr Gibbs, and Sam LaPorta remain at the center of an offense that finished fourth in scoring, fifth in total yardage, and third in passing last year. There is a new variable with Drew Petzing taking over as offensive coordinator, and Goff was sacked 38 times in 2025. Still, he has finished inside the top 10 in each of his four healthy seasons with the Lions and is currently being drafted as the QB16. Managers who wait at quarterback can target Goff as a reliable value, especially when pairing him with a more mobile option for difficult matchups.