J.J.McCarthy

News: 6 days agoMcCarthy (coach's decision) is inactive but will serve as the Vikings' emergency third quarterback against the Packers on Sunday, Craig Peters of the Vikings' official site reports.

Spin: McCarthy lost out to Kyler Murray for the starting job in training camp, and head coach Kevin O'Connell opted to go with Carson Wentz as the backup in Week 1. As the emergency third quarterback, McCarthy is not allowed to play Sunday unless both Murray and Wentz are removed from the game due to injury, illness or ejection.

ESPN Fantasy Projection: McCarthy's career is off to a slow start after the 2024 first-round pick missed his entire rookie season because of an injury then struggled through 2025. McCarthy appeared in 10 games and totaled 11 passing TDs and 12 interceptions while completing an ugly 58% of his passes. McCarthy added some value with his legs (including four TDs), but his production was extremely inconsistent (18-plus fantasy points in four games, but 6.7 per game in his other six outings). The 23-year-old still has plenty of time to develop, but that will come as a backup to Kyler Murray this season. McCarthy is worth considering only in dynasty leagues.