Who Should I Start? Kyle Pitts Sr. or J.J. McCarthy


Week 1 Projections

Fant. Pts. Rush. Yds. Rush TD Rec. Rec. Yds. Rec TD
11.7 0.0 0.0 4.6 50.1 0.3

Kyle Pitts Sr. News

Kyle Pitts Sr. Suiting Up Against Saints in Week 18

Sunday, January 4, 11:50 AM

Atlanta Falcons tight end Kyle Pitts Sr. (knee) is officially active for Sunday's Week 18 contest against the New Orleans Saints. He had been listed as questionable after practicing in a limited capacity this week. Pitts has frequently appeared on the injury report this year, but he never ended up missing a game. He has officially been active for all 17 games for the third season in a row. Pitts has been playing at an elite level ever since Kirk Cousins took over at quarterback, and it has allowed him to rank as the overall TE2 in full-PPR leagues to this point. He'll look to cap off his strong second half of the season in a competitive game against the Saints on Sunday. As it stands, he ranks as a top-five fantasy tight end.


Week 1 Projections

Fant. Pts. Rush. Yds. Rush TD Rec. Rec. Yds. Rec TD
17.9 7.9 0.1 0.0 0.0 0.0

J.J. McCarthy News

J.J. McCarthy to Compete for QB Job in 2026?

Tuesday, January 13, 2:54 PM

Minnesota Vikings head coach Kevin O'Connell said he wants a competitive situation at quarterback going into next season, according to Alec Lewis of The Athletic. O'Connell said McCarthy "is going to be a major emphasis," but "the competition in that room will only enhance the entire team." The Vikings want McCarthy to seize the starting job, but he's going to have to earn it and play better than he did in 2026, and the Vikings are fully expected to add to their QB room to push McCarthy this offseason. The 22-year-old former first-round signal-caller missed his entire rookie season in 2024 due to a knee injury that required surgery. McCarthy missed time with multiple injuries in 2025 and struggled with turnovers and efficiency when he was on the field, completing 57.6% of his pass attempts for 1,632 yards, 11 touchdowns, and 12 interceptions in 10 starts. Fantasy managers will want to see improvement from the Michigan product before considering him as anything more than a low-end QB2 option with upside.


Kyle Pitts Sr. vs. J.J. McCarthy

Still trying to decide between Pitts Sr. and McCarthy? Check on the latest news to make sure both players are active and healthy. Our PPR projections show that Kyle Pitts Sr. is projected to score 11.7 points this week while J.J. McCarthy is projected to score 17.9 points.