Who Should I Start? Justin Fields or J.J. McCarthy

Friday, December 5, 12:07 PM

New York Jets backup quarterback Justin Fields (knee), who reported soreness in his knee on Wednesday, has been ruled out for Sunday's game against the division-rival Miami Dolphins, according to head coach Aaron Glenn. Rookie Brady Cook will serve as the backup to veteran Tyrod Taylor. Fields began the year as the Jets' starting QB, but he has been benched for the last two games in favor of Taylor, who has given the passing attack a small boost. The 26-year-old Fields' disappointing 2025 season will hit a new low point now that he's out with an injury. Even when Fields returns from his knee injury, it seems likely that the Jets will close out the year with Taylor starting under center. In his nine starts in his first year in New York, Fields completed 62.7% of his 204 pass attempts for just 1,259 yards, seven touchdowns, and one interception while adding 71 rushing attempts for 383 yards and four more TDs.

Friday, December 5, 3:48 PM

Minnesota Vikings quarterback J.J. McCarthy (concussion) is back in the lineup and facing one of the NFL's worst defenses in the Washington Commanders, but should be considered a volatile QB2 option for fantasy lineups. The second-year quarterback picked up two huge NFC North road wins earlier this season, but has once again missed significant time due to injuries and mostly struggled when available. McCarthy has 10 interceptions and a 54.1% completion percentage in his six starts, though Washington's defense has had its own issues. The Commanders have allowed scoring drives at the highest rate in the NFL and rank in the bottom five against fantasy quarterbacks, and McCarthy has shown flashes of mobility with 120 rushing yards and a pair of touchdowns on 23 carries. Managers approaching the fantasy playoffs in Superflex formats will have to evaluate McCarthy against their other options, but there is some hope that a talented Minnesota offense can finally turn a corner against a bad defense at home.