Who Should I Start? Matthew Stafford or J.J. McCarthy

Saturday, October 18, 9:36 AM

Los Angeles Rams quarterback Matthew Stafford has been terrific this season, ranking as the overall QB10 in fantasy football. While he has a long track record of success in the NFL and has proven that this season's results are no joke, managers should temper expectations with the veteran signal caller this week. First of all, he will be without Puka Nacua (ankle), who is the heart and soul of Los Angeles' receiving corps. That will leave Davante Adams as the de facto No. 1 receiver. While Adams is dominant, too, he hasn't flashed the strongest rapport with Stafford, which could be an issue now that he's in a bigger role. Furthermore, Stafford will be tasked with overcoming the challenges of international travel; he arrives in London on Saturday and will take on the Jaguars just one day later. Both of these factors reduce Stafford's fantasy value, but he still cracks the top 12. It helps that Jacksonville has allowed the fifth-most passing yards to quarterbacks this season, as well as the 11th-most fantasy points to the position. Stafford is a low-end QB1 for this week.

Friday, October 17, 4:47 PM

Minnesota Vikings quarterback J.J. McCarthy (ankle) is expected to be the emergency third QB for Sunday's matchup against the Eagles, according to Ian Rapoport of NFL Network. McCarthy is set to miss his fourth straight game after suffering a high ankle sprain in Minnesota's Week 2 loss to the Falcons. There was an expectation that McCarthy would be ready to go out of the team's bye in Week 6, but they opted to give him some more time to rest. Veteran Carson Wentz is in line to make another start against his former team in Week 7. He's completed 69% of his passes for 759 yards, five touchdowns, and two interceptions in McCarthy's place and holds some value in two-quarterback leagues.