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

Friday, December 5, 10:09 AM

Atlanta Falcons tight end Kyle Pitts Sr. had a fantastic Week 13 with 82 receiving yards on eight targets, and is looking to continue that production in Week 14 against the Seattle Seahawks, who have been vulnerable to the tight end position, allowing the fifth most fantasy points to tight ends. What's most encouraging for Pitts is that his targets went up in Week 13 to eight, compared to the last three games, where he only saw a combined 13 targets. With Kirk Cousins now under center for the second straight week in Week 13 and more acclimated to the offense, the rapport between Pitts and Cousins showed in Week 13. The last time Cousins played two games in a row was in 2024, before Michael Penix Jr. took over as the team's QB1 in Week 16 of that season. Based on the trend and matchup, Pitts' stock is on the rise heading into the final weeks of the fantasy football season. Rotoballer ranks him as the TE7 for Week 14.

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.