Who Should I Start? Tyler Shough or J.J. McCarthy

Sunday, August 2, 10:40 AM

New Orleans Saints quarterback Tyler Shough enters 2026 in a much cleaner spot than he did as a rookie. He is the unquestioned starter, Chris Olave is still in place, and New Orleans added first-round receiver Jordyn Tyson and running back Travis Etienne Jr. Shough also gave fantasy managers something to work with last year. In nine starts, he went 5-4, and he finished the season with 2,384 passing yards, 10 touchdowns, six interceptions, plus 186 yards and three scores on the ground. There is upside here. There is also a reason to separate his redraft and dynasty prices. Shough turns 27 in September, was only a second-round pick, and has nine NFL starts behind him. RotoBaller lists him at QB21 in both redraft and dynasty, while its overall dynasty board has him 140th. At a QB21 redraft ADP, he is a reasonable late target because the job is secure and the offense improved. Dynasty managers should be more careful. A strong 2026 could push his value higher, but a slow start would raise questions quickly. He is worth drafting as a QB2 in redraft, though he looks more like a hold or selective sell than an aggressive dynasty buy.