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

Saturday, December 6, 4:54 AM

Kansas City Chiefs quarterback Patrick Mahomes diced up the Dallas Cowboys on Thanksgiving, but ended up taking the loss. Mahomes completed 23 of 34 pass attempts (68%) for 261 yards and four touchdowns in the 28-31 loss to Dallas in Week 13. The Chiefs defense has now given up at least 20 points in four straight games, making it difficult to win no matter how well Mahomes plays. With the team sitting at 6-6 and third in the division, Mahomes and the Chiefs essentially need to win out to secure a spot in the playoffs. That task will be tough to accomplish when they have the stout Houston defense staring them down in Week 14. The Texans defense has allowed the fewest fantasy points to opposing quarterbacks this season, making this the toughest matchup there is. With their season hanging in the balance, Mahomes will have to will them to victory if they want to see the postseason. The Chiefs superstar was also listed on this week's injury report with a knee injury, but practiced all week fully and does not have an injury designation heading into the weekend. Mahomes is ranked QB7 in our RotoBaller rankings, meaning he's still a locked-in QB1 despite facing arguably the best defense in football.

Tuesday, December 9, 9:55 AM

Minnesota Vikings quarterback J.J. McCarthy led his team to a 31-0 rout of the Commanders in Week 14 in a triumphant return from injury. He threw for 163 yards and three touchdowns in the win while adding 19 rushing yards on six carries as well. McCarthy completed 16 of his 23 pass attempts in one of his best performances of the season. This week, he'll be in a tougher matchup on the road against the Cowboys, but even though Dallas's defense has shown potential, they're still giving up a lot of points. The Vikings have a favorable few weeks ahead, so McCarthy can be an interesting play if you need a second QB for the rest of the season. His rushing potential and good pass-catching weapons give him good upside, even though he has struggled to reach his high ceiling throughout his first year as the team's starter.