Who Should I Start? Patrick Mahomes or J.J. McCarthy
Week 1 Projections
| Fant. Pts. |
Rush. Yds. |
Rush TD |
Rec. | Rec. Yds. |
Rec TD |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 22.7 | 12.5 | 0.2 | 0.0 | 0.0 | 0.0 |
Patrick Mahomes News
Friday, February 20, 3:11 PM
Kansas City Chiefs head coach Andy Reid said that quarterback Patrick Mahomes (knee), who has been rehabbing the last two months after having surgery to fix the torn ACL and LCL in his left knee, is "already showing progress," according to ESPN's Nate Taylor. "He's around here all the time," Reid said of Mahomes. "He spends a ton of time here, seven hours a day. He's in there cranking away and making progress every day. It's great to see." The three-time Super Bowl MVP and six-time Pro Bowler still has a lot of rehab left, but if he keeps making great strides, he will have a shot to be ready for Week 1 of the 2026 regular season this fall. Even before his late-season knee injury, Mahomes and the Chiefs offense had taken a step back, and he finished with 3,587 passing yards, a career-low 22 touchdown passes, and 11 picks in 14 games. Coming off major knee surgery, Mahomes will no longer be in consideration as a high-end QB1 in fantasy in 2026 as he heads into his 10th year in the NFL.
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.
Patrick Mahomes vs. J.J. McCarthy
Still trying to decide between Mahomes and McCarthy? Check on the latest news to make sure both players are active and healthy. Our PPR projections show that Patrick Mahomes is projected to score 22.7 points this week while J.J. McCarthy is projected to score 17.9 points.
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