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.

Tuesday, November 18, 11:39 AM

The Minnesota Vikings are now 4-6 behind struggling young quarterback J.J. McCarthy, but the team is betting that McCarthy can overcome his current issues and acclimate to the NFL with time. Receiver Adam Thielen, who is back in Minnesota after two full seasons in Carolina, pointed to Panthers quarterback Bryce Young, whose improvement in his third season came after two mostly rough years at the helm. "I'm sure he's leaning on a ton of experience from the last few years that (included) some really tough moments," Thielen said, according to The Athletic. Vikings head coach Kevin O'Connell hasn't entertained a move and maintains McCarthy's issues are mechanical and can be corrected. Minnesota is going to give McCarthy the runway to improve, so managers in Superflex leagues will know they'll have a playable QB, albeit one going through the ups and downs of being a first-time starter.