Who Should I Start? Tua Tagovailoa or J.J. McCarthy
Week 1 Projections
| Fant. Pts. |
Rush. Yds. |
Rush TD |
Rec. | Rec. Yds. |
Rec TD |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 18.8 | 5.1 | 0.1 | 0.0 | 0.0 | 0.0 |
Tua Tagovailoa News
Wednesday, August 26, 9:43 AM
Atlanta Falcons quarterback Tua Tagovailoa will start Friday night's preseason finale against his former team, the Miami Dolphins, according to Ari Meirov. Tagovailoa spent six seasons in Miami before the Dolphins released him in March, and he landed with Atlanta shortly afterward. His Falcons debut didn't offer much, as he completed three of five passes for 22 yards against Denver. He didn't play in Atlanta's second preseason game. Meanwhile, Michael Penix Jr. has now been cleared for full-team work and rotated with Tagovailoa during first-team periods Monday. Atlanta still hasn't named its Week 1 starter. Tagovailoa is coming off a 2025 season in which he threw for 2,660 yards, 20 touchdowns and 15 interceptions in 14 starts. Friday gives the 28-year-old one more preseason opportunity, this time in a familiar building. The start itself doesn't settle Atlanta's quarterback situation, especially with Penix finally back in the mix.
Week 1 Projections
| Fant. Pts. |
Rush. Yds. |
Rush TD |
Rec. | Rec. Yds. |
Rec TD |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1.5 | 1.3 | 0.0 | 0.0 | 0.0 | 0.0 |
J.J. McCarthy News
Thursday, August 27, 12:29 PM
Minnesota Vikings quarterback J.J. McCarthy is among the quarterbacks who "could be on the move in the next few weeks," according to Benjamin Allbright of KOA Colorado. Allbright reports that McCarthy, Tua Tagovailoa, Dillon Gabriel, and Anthony Richardson Sr. are signal-callers who "have had calls placed on them to varying degrees of interest." The 10th overall pick in the 2024 NFL Draft, McCarthy missed his entire rookie season with a knee injury and then struggled in his first chance to be a starter in 2025. Across 10 games last season, the 23-year-old completed 57.6% of his pass attempts for 1,632 yards, 11 touchdowns, and 12 interceptions. The Vikings signed veteran quarterback Kyler Murray over the offseason, and Murray will enter 2026 as the team's QB1. McCarthy may not even be the favorite to be Minnesota's backup, as the team also rosters veteran quarterback Carson Wentz. It's not clear that there is a team around the league that views McCarthy as an immediate starting option, but at this point, his dynasty value would likely be better served by a change of scenery.
Tua Tagovailoa vs. J.J. McCarthy
Still trying to decide between Tagovailoa and McCarthy? Check on the latest news to make sure both players are active and healthy. Our PPR projections show that Tua Tagovailoa is projected to score 18.8 points this week while J.J. McCarthy is projected to score 1.5 points.
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