Who Should I Start? Jimmy Garoppolo or J.J. McCarthy

Sunday, January 18, 5:08 PM

Los Angeles Rams quarterback Jimmy Garoppolo (back) is officially active for Sunday's Divisional Round contest against the Chicago Bears. He had been listed as questionable after missing back-to-back practices. The veteran signal-caller has spent the entire season backing up Matthew Stafford, which means he only plays when Los Angeles has a blowout lead or can kneel out the remainder of the clock. As a result, he has zero pass attempts and nine kneel-downs this year. Garoppolo should occupy a similar role on Sunday and can be left on waivers in all fantasy leagues.

Tuesday, January 13, 2:54 PM

Minnesota Vikings head coach Kevin O'Connell said he wants a competitive situation at quarterback going into next season, according to Alec Lewis of The Athletic. O'Connell said McCarthy "is going to be a major emphasis," but "the competition in that room will only enhance the entire team." The Vikings want McCarthy to seize the starting job, but he's going to have to earn it and play better than he did in 2026, and the Vikings are fully expected to add to their QB room to push McCarthy this offseason. The 22-year-old former first-round signal-caller missed his entire rookie season in 2024 due to a knee injury that required surgery. McCarthy missed time with multiple injuries in 2025 and struggled with turnovers and efficiency when he was on the field, completing 57.6% of his pass attempts for 1,632 yards, 11 touchdowns, and 12 interceptions in 10 starts. Fantasy managers will want to see improvement from the Michigan product before considering him as anything more than a low-end QB2 option with upside.