Who Should I Start? Kyler Murray or J.J. McCarthy

Monday, September 8, 7:50 PM

The Arizona Republic's Theo Mackie writes that the Arizona Cardinals "tweaked some of their pass-protection schematics in an attempt to open up more scrambling lanes" for quarterback Kyler Murray up the middle this year. In the 20-13 Week 1 win over the New Orleans Saints on Sunday, Murray went 21-for-29 for 163 yards, two touchdowns and no interceptions while running the ball seven times for 38 yards. "I did think there were some high-leverage snaps in that game where he used his legs for our advantage and that's what you want to see," head coach Jonathan Gannon said. The 28-year-old ranked eighth among QBs in 2024 with 78 carries and finished fourth with 572 yards on the ground and five touchdowns. It sounds like Arizona might prefer Murray run the ball even more in 2025, which would only raise his ceiling and floor as a weekly low-end QB1 in fantasy.

Tuesday, September 9, 12:25 AM

Minnesota Vikings rookie quarterback J.J. McCarthy went 13 of 20 for 143 yards with two touchdowns and one interception, leading his team to a 27-24 win against the Bears in his NFL debut. McCarthy looked overmatched early as the Vikings' stagnant run game left him facing frequent third-and-long situations. He had just 48 total yards at the half while taking two sacks, and then threw a pick-six early in the second half to put Minnesota down 17-6. McCarthy bounced back remarkably well after his costly mistake, delivering his best play in the fourth quarter when he accounted for all three of his touchdowns. The Vikings' run game picked up on the subsequent drive and set up McCarthy for 13-yard touchdown strike to Justin Jefferson. He later hit Aaron Jones for a 27-yard touchdown on a wheel route on a really well-placed ball between two defenders. Finally, he showed off his athleticism and impact as a runner with a 14-yard touchdown run on a read option to essentially ice the game. There will be plenty of growing pains for the 22-year-old signal caller, but he showed some positive signs in this game. McCarthy will be set to make his home debut next Sunday night against Atlanta.