Who Should I Start? Patrick Mahomes or J.J. McCarthy

Saturday, November 15, 4:09 AM

Kansas City Chiefs quarterback Patrick Mahomes will take on the Denver Broncos on Sunday in Week 11. Mahomes has been the best quarterback in fantasy this season on a per-game basis and should be ready to compete coming out of the team's bye. The 30-year-old had his worst game of the season in Week 9 before the bye, completing just 44% of his passes while throwing an interception and scoring zero touchdowns in their loss to the Buffalo Bills. Despite having an extra week to rest and prepare, Mahomes could have a hard time getting back on track against the Broncos, who have allowed the second-fewest fantasy points to opposing quarterbacks this season. Divisional matchups also tend to be lower-scoring affairs given the familiarity between the teams, which could work against Mahomes having a ceiling performance this week. Mahomes is ranked QB7 in our RotoBaller rankings, making him a mid-range QB1 but with lower expectations than in other weeks.

Friday, November 14, 6:56 PM

Minnesota Vikings quarterback J.J. McCarthy is a solid Superflex candidate with his team set to face the Chicago Bears in Week 11. The second-year quarterback led a furious comeback in the Week 1 meeting between the two teams in which he accounted for three total touchdowns in the fourth quarter, and the Chicago defense continues to rank among the bottom of the barrel against fantasy quarterbacks. McCarthy is a work in progress as a passer, but encouragingly for managers, he's developed a nice rushing floor in his limited time with the Vikings. He rushed for a touchdown in two of his four starts and ran for 48 yards on only five carries last week against the Ravens. Certainly, some volatility is to be expected from a first-time starter, but McCarthy is already playable in two-quarterback leagues and could have additional week-to-week value with favorable matchups.