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

Friday, December 5, 5:34 PM

Los Angeles Chargers quarterback Justin Herbert (hand) was listed as a limited participant in practice again on Friday, according to the team. Herbert suffered a metacarpal fracture in his left (non-throwing) hand in the Week 13 win over the Las Vegas Raiders and had a plate and screws put into his hand on Monday to stabilize the fracture. The 27-year-old plans to play in Week 14 against the Philadelphia Eagles on Monday Night Football, but he could carry a questionable designation into that contest if he cannot upgrade to a full practice on Saturday. Herbert should be active on Monday, even if he doesn't practice in full this week. Behind a porous offensive line in a matchup against a strong Philly defensive line, though, Herbert could find himself without much time to throw the football. Herbert should be considered more of a high-end QB2 in fantasy this week.

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.