Who Should I Start? Kirk Cousins or J.J. McCarthy
Week 2 Projections
| Fant. Pts. |
Rush. Yds. |
Rush TD |
Rec. | Rec. Yds. |
Rec TD |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 18.5 | 4.5 | 0.1 | 0.0 | 0.0 | 0.0 |
Kirk Cousins News
Friday, September 18, 1:24 PM
Las Vegas Raiders quarterback Kirk Cousins will be challenged to keep the winning momentum going as he faces a sturdy Los Angeles Chargers defense in Week 2. The veteran play caller was solid in his debut with the Silver and Black, completing 21 of 30 passes for 160 yards with three touchdowns in a 27-13 win against the Miami Dolphins, though he also threw two interceptions. The Chargers allowed 277 passing yards in a Week 1 loss to the Arizona Cardinals, but ranked fifth in the league in 2025 with just 179.9 passing yards allowed per game. Cousins got away with making a lot of short passes to running back Ashton Jeanty against Miami, but will need to utilize Vegas' young receiving corps to succeed on the road against the Bolts. The four-time Pro Bowl selection remains too risky to start in standard redraft leagues but has deep-league fantasy potential, and a strong performance against a good Chargers defense could raise his value.
Week 2 Projections
| Fant. Pts. |
Rush. Yds. |
Rush TD |
Rec. | Rec. Yds. |
Rec TD |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 7.0 | 3.9 | 0.1 | 0.0 | 0.0 | 0.0 |
J.J. McCarthy News
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.
Kirk Cousins vs. J.J. McCarthy
Still trying to decide between Cousins and McCarthy? Check on the latest news to make sure both players are active and healthy. Our PPR projections show that Kirk Cousins is projected to score 18.5 points this week while J.J. McCarthy is projected to score 7.0 points.
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