Who Should I Start? Josh Johnson or J.J. McCarthy


Week 3 Projections

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0.0 0.0 0.0 0.0 0.0 0.0

Josh Johnson News

Bengals Elevate QB Josh Johnson to Active Roster Amid Burrow Injury

Saturday, September 19, 12:10 PM

The Cincinnati Bengals are elevating veteran quarterback Josh Johnson from the practice squad to the active roster for their Week 2 matchup against the Houston Texans, per ESPN's Adam Schefter. Johnson's elevation is notable because star Bengals quarterback Joe Burrow (back) is officially listed as questionable for Week 2. While Burrow is expected to play on Sunday, it appears the team has enough concern about his health to carry three quarterbacks on their 53-man roster. If Burrow were to be inactive or be forced to exit the game early, Joe Flacco would be the next man up under center for Cincinnati, and Johnson would step into the backup role. Between his uncertain health outlook and the tough matchup against Houston, fantasy managers may want to downgrade expectations for Burrow in Week 2.


Week 3 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

J.J. McCarthy Demoted to Third-String Role

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.


Josh Johnson vs. J.J. McCarthy

Still trying to decide between Johnson and McCarthy? Check on the latest news to make sure both players are active and healthy. Our PPR projections show that Josh Johnson is projected to score 0.0 points this week while J.J. McCarthy is projected to score 0.0 points.