Who Should I Start? Lamar Jackson or J.J. McCarthy

Wednesday, August 13, 4:08 PM

Baltimore Ravens head coach John Harbaugh said that the same players who didn't play at all in the preseason opener last week against the Indianapolis Colts won't play in their second preseason tilt versus the Dallas Cowboys on Saturday, either. It means that key starters like quarterback Lamar Jackson won't be suiting up. Backup Cooper Rush could get more than a quarter of action this weekend. The 28-year-old Jackson didn't play at all last preseason, so don't be surprised if the same thing happens this year after he threw for a career-high 4,172 yards, 41 touchdowns and only four interceptions in 17 regular-season games a year ago. The four-time Pro Bowler and two-time MVP is at the top of his game and is a high-end, dual-threat QB1 for fantasy managers in 2025. Jackson isn't dealing with any sort of injury this summer.

Thursday, August 14, 9:39 PM

Minnesota Vikings quarterback J.J. McCarthy had his "best practice of camp" on Thursday and impressed with both his consistency and accuracy, according to Alec Lewis of The Athletic. Lewis notes that McCarthy had a stretch of practice where he completed 13 straight passes and threw for six touchdowns. The 22-year-old former first-round pick is preparing for his first year as an NFL starter after missing his entire rookie season with a torn meniscus in his knee. McCarthy will likely experience some growing pains, but he has a lot of playmaking talent around him in Minnesota and an excellent play-calling head coach in Kevin O'Connell. He profiles as a mid-tier QB2 in fantasy, but he's got more upside than some of the other quarterbacks being drafted in his range.