Who Should I Start? Joe Burrow or J.J. McCarthy
Week 2 Projections
| Fant. Pts. |
Rush. Yds. |
Rush TD |
Rec. | Rec. Yds. |
Rec TD |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 25.1 | 9.4 | 0.1 | 0.0 | 0.0 | 0.0 |
Joe Burrow News
Wednesday, September 16, 11:51 AM
Cincinnati Bengals quarterback Joe Burrow (back) said he is dealing with some back tightness and soreness from the Week 1 season-opening win over the Tampa Bay Buccaneers on Sunday, according to Paul Dehner Jr. of The Athletic. Burrow said that he will be fine and expects to play. On the idea that he would not play in Week 2 against the Houston Texans out of precaution, Burrow said, "That's ridiculous." The star signal-caller did not do much throwing during practice on Wednesday and also did not stretch with the rest of the team, which was the first sign that he was dealing with something. He will most likely be listed as limited on Wednesday's injury report. As long as Burrow does not get worse over the next couple of days, he should be fine to suit up this weekend on the road in a difficult matchup against a Texans team that took the Buffalo Bills to the wire in Week 1. The 29-year-old three-time Pro Bowler threw for 254 yards, one touchdown, and one interception in the 33-27 Week 1 win over Tampa, and he will be a must-start in fantasy lineups as long as he is active this Sunday.
Week 2 Projections
| Fant. Pts. |
Rush. Yds. |
Rush TD |
Rec. | Rec. Yds. |
Rec TD |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 0.0 | 0.0 | 0.0 | 0.0 | 0.0 | 0.0 |
J.J. McCarthy News
Wednesday, September 9, 10:51 AM
Minnesota Vikings head coach Kevin O'Connell told reporters on Wednesday that veteran quarterback Carson Wentz is the backup to starter Kyler Murray and that J.J. McCarthy is the third-stringer to open the 2026 season, according to Ian Rapoport of the NFL Network. It will be a week-to-week evaluation. "This gives us the best chance to win," O'Connell said. The writing was on the wall for the 23-year-old former first-rounder from Michigan when the Vikings signed Murray to a one-year deal this offseason in free agency. McCarthy lost out in the training camp QB battle to Murray, and after struggling in the preseason and getting banged up, he will enter his third year in the NFL as the team's QB3. In his first full season as the Vikings' starter in 2025, McCarthy only played in 10 games due to various injuries and struggled with his accuracy, completing 140 of his 243 pass attempts for 1,632 yards, 11 touchdowns, and 12 interceptions. McCarthy's best path back to fantasy relevance in dynasty/keeper leagues might be a trade out of Minnesota at this point.
Joe Burrow vs. J.J. McCarthy
Still trying to decide between Burrow and McCarthy? Check on the latest news to make sure both players are active and healthy. Our PPR projections show that Joe Burrow is projected to score 25.1 points this week while J.J. McCarthy is projected to score 0.0 points.
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