Who Should I Start? Michael Penix Jr. or J.J. McCarthy

Tuesday, August 12, 10:08 AM

Atlanta Falcons quarterback Michael Penix Jr. will not play in the team's second preseason game on Friday, per ESPN's Marc Raimondi. Backup quarterback Kirk Cousins is also unlikely to play, although it has not been completely ruled out by the team. Neither Penix Jr. nor Cousins played in Atlanta's first preseason game against the Detroit Lions last Friday, leaving Easton Stick and Emory Jones to handle signal-calling duties. Penix Jr. has a long injury history dating back to his time in college, so it makes sense why the team would want to be cautious with him in the preseason despite his limited NFL experience as a starter (three games).

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.