Who Should I Start? Kenny Pickett or J.J. McCarthy

Wednesday, May 28, 3:37 PM

Cleveland Browns quarterback Kenny Pickett lined up with the first-team offense during Wednesday's walkthrough practice, according to ESPN's Daniel Oyefusi. The former first-round pick by the Pittsburgh Steelers spent last season as Jalen Hurts' backup in Philadelphia but figures to be the favorite to win the QB1 job in Cleveland. Joe Flacco was next in line for reps as expected. While the Browns' quarterback room appears crowded heading into 2025, Pickett is likely the best bet to begin the season as the starter. Third-round and fifth-round rookie QBs Dillon Gabriel and Shedeur Sanders could be competing for the QB3 role behind Flacco. Ultimately, we could see two or three quarterbacks make a start for the Browns next season, but none are likely notable fantasy football options in single-QB leagues.

Wednesday, May 7, 9:26 PM

Minnesota Vikings head coach Kevin O'Connell didn't really acknowledge whether former first-round quarterback J.J. McCarthy (knee) will face competition for the starting job in 2025. "J.J. is going to be in a great position to assume and ascend in our organization," O'Connell said on The Rich Eisen Show. "But right now, we really don't have any feelings on competition as much as we've got an obligation as coaches to put our players in position to attack that competition phase." Sam Howell and Brett Rypien are the other options in the QB room. O'Connell did say that McCarthy is "owning it" this offseason and will get plenty of reps with the starters. The 22-year-old missed his entire rookie season due to a torn meniscus in his right knee, but he's fully expected to be ready for the start of 2025. O'Connell said he's seen a difference in McCarthy's footwork, rhythm, timing and cadence from a year ago. The Vikes like him a lot, so he's expected to be the starter in Week 1, where he'll be a low-end QB2 in fantasy with upside.