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

Monday, October 14, 7:30 PM

Los Angeles Rams head coach Sean McVay said on Monday that quarterback Matthew Stafford (back) is "doing great and he's not going to miss any time." Stafford came out of the Week 5 loss to the Green Bay Packers with back soreness but had the bye in Week 6 to heal up properly. Stafford could be listed on this week's injury report, but it sounds like he won't be in danger of missing the Week 7 matchup against the Las Vegas Raiders at SoFi Stadium. It's good news for Stafford and the Rams, but LA could be without both receivers Cooper Kupp (ankle) and Puka Nacua (knee) for yet another week. Nacua won't practice this week and is most likely out, while Kupp is a question mark. The matchup will be a great one for the 36-year-old signal-caller, but without his top receivers, Stafford isn't all that attractive in fantasy as a QB2. Stafford is currently the QB31 at 14.8 fantasy points per game in 2024.

Friday, August 16, 4:43 PM

Minnesota Vikings rookie quarterback J.J. McCarthy (knee) was officially placed on the season-ending injured reserve on Friday afternoon. In a corresponding move, the Vikings signed quarterback Matt Corral, who will compete for the No. 3 job. McCarthy missed practice earlier this week as he was dealing with knee soreness but eventually underwent an MRI, which showed a tear in his meniscus. The Michigan product underwent knee surgery on Wednesday and will now focus on recovering for the 2025 season. This is a tough blow for the former national champion, who looked quite sharp in the pro debut on Saturday as he went 11-for-17 with 188 passing yards and two scores. Fantasy managers should expect Sam Darnold to serve as the starting quarterback in Minnesota this season, with Nick Mullens slotted as the No. 2.