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


Week 3 Projections

Fant.
Pts.
Rush.
Yds.
Rush
TD
Rec. Rec.
Yds.
Rec
TD
24.4 17.7 0.3 0.0 0.0 0.0

Tyler Shough News

Tyler Shough Faces Tough Week 2 Matchup Against Ravens

Friday, September 18, 8:05 PM

New Orleans Saints quarterback Tyler Shough struggled in the first half of Week 1 against the Lions, completing just 10 of 22 passes for 85 yards and an interception. He found his groove in the second half and overtime, completing 25 of 34 passes for 326 yards, three touchdowns and one pick. Shough said afterward that he was "trying to be too perfect" early on against Detroit. He'll now face a tough Ravens defense in Week 2 after they allowed just 166 passing yards and one passing touchdown to Daniel Jones and the Colts in Week 1. Shough will need to do a better job limiting turnovers, and getting off to a better start will be important against Baltimore. His ability to push the ball downfield gives him strong upside, but the tough matchup does add some risk. If he can avoid the early mistakes, Shough is a high-upside QB2 this week.


Week 3 Projections

Fant.
Pts.
Rush.
Yds.
Rush
TD
Rec. Rec.
Yds.
Rec
TD
0.0 0.0 0.0 0.0 0.0 0.0

J.J. McCarthy News

J.J. McCarthy Demoted to Third-String Role

Wednesday, September 9, 10:51 AM

Minnesota Vikings head coach Kevin O'Connell told reporters on Wednesday that veteran quarterback Carson Wentz is the backup to starter Kyler Murray and that J.J. McCarthy is the third-stringer to open the 2026 season, according to Ian Rapoport of the NFL Network. It will be a week-to-week evaluation. "This gives us the best chance to win," O'Connell said. The writing was on the wall for the 23-year-old former first-rounder from Michigan when the Vikings signed Murray to a one-year deal this offseason in free agency. McCarthy lost out in the training camp QB battle to Murray, and after struggling in the preseason and getting banged up, he will enter his third year in the NFL as the team's QB3. In his first full season as the Vikings' starter in 2025, McCarthy only played in 10 games due to various injuries and struggled with his accuracy, completing 140 of his 243 pass attempts for 1,632 yards, 11 touchdowns, and 12 interceptions. McCarthy's best path back to fantasy relevance in dynasty/keeper leagues might be a trade out of Minnesota at this point.


Tyler Shough vs. J.J. McCarthy

Still trying to decide between Shough and McCarthy? Check on the latest news to make sure both players are active and healthy. Our PPR projections show that Tyler Shough is projected to score 24.4 points this week while J.J. McCarthy is projected to score 0.0 points.