Who Should I Start? Kirk Cousins or J.J. McCarthy

Monday, October 21, 11:36 AM

Atlanta Falcons quarterback Kirk Cousins completed 24-of-35 passes for 232 yards and a touchdown but turned the ball over three times in a 34-14 loss to the Seahawks on Sunday. Two of the turnovers came via interception and the other was a fumble that turned into a scoop-and-score for the Seahawks. It was the fifth time in seven games that Cousins failed to record two or more touchdown passes and he now has seven picks in as many games. This was supposed to be a favorable matchup with a banged-up Seahawks secondary and Atlanta favored by three points, but instead, it was a lopsided affair that went in Seattle's favor. While it makes Cousins hard to trust as a weekly streaming option, the good news is that the 36-year-old gets the Buccaneers in Week 8, a team he threw for over 500 yards against with four TDs just a few weeks ago, so he'll get an opportunity to bounce back next week.

Friday, August 16, 4:43 PM

Minnesota Vikings rookie quarterback J.J. McCarthy (knee) was officially placed on the season-ending injured reserve on Friday afternoon. In a corresponding move, the Vikings signed quarterback Matt Corral, who will compete for the No. 3 job. McCarthy missed practice earlier this week as he was dealing with knee soreness but eventually underwent an MRI, which showed a tear in his meniscus. The Michigan product underwent knee surgery on Wednesday and will now focus on recovering for the 2025 season. This is a tough blow for the former national champion, who looked quite sharp in the pro debut on Saturday as he went 11-for-17 with 188 passing yards and two scores. Fantasy managers should expect Sam Darnold to serve as the starting quarterback in Minnesota this season, with Nick Mullens slotted as the No. 2.