Who Should I Start? Kyler Murray or Michael Penix Jr.
Week 1 Projections
| Fant. Pts. |
Rush. Yds. |
Rush TD |
Rec. | Rec. Yds. |
Rec TD |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 20.6 | 25.6 | 0.2 | 0.0 | 0.0 | 0.0 |
Kyler Murray News
Tuesday, July 21, 9:46 AM
The Minnesota Vikings quarterback competition is set to go "right up to the start" of the 2026 regular season, according to Ian Rapoport of NFL Network. The Vikings acquired veteran Kyler Murray over the offseason to compete with incumbent signal-caller J.J. McCarthy, who battled both injuries and underperformance in 2025. Murray was limited to just five games in 2025 by a foot injury and has struggled with inconsistency himself in recent seasons. However, he's demonstrated a much higher ceiling than McCarthy to this point in their respective careers and was a productive dual-threat quarterback as recently as 2024, when he threw for 3,851 yards and 21 touchdowns while rushing for 572 yards and five scores. Fantasy managers with an interest in Vikings wide receivers Justin Jefferson, Jordan Addison, and/or Jauan Jennings may be better served if Murray wins the job, as the veteran quarterback likely offers the higher floor. Still, McCarthy is only entering his age-23 season and could be a higher-upside option.
Week 1 Projections
| Fant. Pts. |
Rush. Yds. |
Rush TD |
Rec. | Rec. Yds. |
Rec TD |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 8.3 | 3.5 | 0.0 | 0.0 | 0.0 | 0.0 |
Michael Penix Jr. News
Wednesday, July 15, 12:12 PM
Atlanta Falcons quarterback Michael Penix Jr. (knee) is still difficult to price before training camp. He threw for 1,982 yards, nine touchdowns, and three interceptions in nine starts last season, then a partially torn left ACL ended his year in Week 11. This was his third ACL surgery. Penix made it back for individual and seven-on-seven work in the spring, but Atlanta kept him out of full-team periods while Tua Tagovailoa ran the offense. The expectation was that Penix would be ready for 11-on-11 work in camp, pending medical clearance. Until that happens, there is not much of a competition to judge. The fantasy profile has its own problem. Penix completed 60.1% of his passes and added only 70 rushing yards, so he needs the arm to carry the value. Drake London, Bijan Robinson, and Kyle Pitts Sr. give him enough help if he wins the job. RotoBaller has Penix at QB29 in dynasty, which is low enough to hold through camp but not cheap enough to ignore the knee and Tua. Superflex buyers should wait for clarity rather than paying for his previous upside.
Kyler Murray vs. Michael Penix Jr.
Still trying to decide between Murray and Penix Jr.? Check on the latest news to make sure both players are active and healthy. Our PPR projections show that Kyler Murray is projected to score 20.6 points this week while Michael Penix Jr. is projected to score 8.3 points.
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