Who Should I Start? Lamar Jackson or J.J. McCarthy
Week 1 Projections
| Fant. Pts. |
Rush. Yds. |
Rush TD |
Rec. | Rec. Yds. |
Rec TD |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 21.5 | 42.1 | 0.4 | 0.0 | 0.0 | 0.0 |
Lamar Jackson News
Tuesday, February 24, 6:44 AM
Baltimore Ravens general manager Eric DeCosta told reporters on Tuesday at the NFL scouting combine that he's "confident" the team will get a contract extension done with quarterback Lamar Jackson, according to Adam Schefter of ESPN. The Ravens are looking to get something new done with Jackson since his salary cap hit will jump to $74.5 million for 2026 and 2027 after he signed a five-year, $260 million contract extension in April of 2023. The 29-year-old two-time MVP only played in 13 games in 2025 due to injury and finished with a disappointing 2,549 passing yards, 21 touchdowns, and seven interceptions. He also had a career-low 67 rushing attempts for 349 yards and two touchdowns. Jackson will need to bounce back for Baltimore to have a shot at returning to the postseason, and with better health in 2026, he could easily be back in the high-end QB1 tier for fantasy managers.
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
Tuesday, February 24, 11:51 AM
Minnesota Vikings head coach Kevin O'Connell said on Tuesday that he still views quarterback J.J. McCarthy as a franchise signal-caller, according to Kevin Seifert of ESPN. "A lot of those feelings are still the same. It's just the timeline is in a different place for all of us than it was [in 2024]," McConnell said. The Vikings drafted the 23-year-old with the 10th overall pick in 2024 out of Michigan with the intentions of him being the team's long-term QB, but it hasn't gone as planned in his first two years in the NFL. McCarthy missed all of his rookie campaign due to a knee injury that required surgery, and he was extremely inconsistent in his first 10 starts in 2025 while missing time with various injuries. He completed 57.6% of his passes for 1,632 yards, 11 touchdowns and 12 interceptions. Decision-making and accuracy were a big issue, but durability is the primary concern for Minnesota and fantasy managers who have him rostered in dynasty/keeper leagues. There's still time for McCarthy to develop under O'Connell, one of the best QB gurus in the league, but the Vikes may bring in some competition to push him this offseason.
Lamar Jackson vs. J.J. McCarthy
Still trying to decide between Jackson and McCarthy? Check on the latest news to make sure both players are active and healthy. Our PPR projections show that Lamar Jackson is projected to score 21.5 points this week while J.J. McCarthy is projected to score 17.9 points.
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