J.J. McCarthy

Fantasy News

• Giants' J.J. McCarthy: Week 8 Waiver Priority List

  Rotowire Oct 27, 2026

  McCarthy is on bye in Week 8, and he only scored 10.2 Fantasy points in Week 7 at Houston. But he played well against the Texans with 20-of-28 passing for 252 yards, no touchdowns or interceptions and 1 rushing yard. He has favorable upcoming matchups against Philadelphia in Week 9 and Washington in Week 10, and he could be a low-end starter in one-quarterback leagues in those games. McCarthy is worth adding for 1 percent of your remaining FAAB.

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• Giants' J.J. McCarthy: Little production in OT win

  Rotowire Oct 25, 2026

  McCarthy completed 20 of 28 passes for 252 yards and no touchdowns or interceptions in Sunday's 27-21 overtime win over the Texans. He added one yard on his only carry. Making his first start of the season, McCarthy was efficient in getting the Giants into position to score, but all four of their touchdowns came on the ground -- including a one-yard plunge by the man he replaced under center, Jameis Winston, in the second quarter. The victory alone was enough to keep McCarthy in the starting job, and after a bye he'll gear up for a Week 9 clash with the Eagles.

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• Giants' J.J. McCarthy: Confirmed to start Week 7

  Rotowire Oct 21, 2026

  McCarthy will start at quarterback in Week 7, coach John Harbaugh confirmed Wednesday. Things had been trending in this direction after McCarthy's impressive performance in relief of Jameis Winston in Week 6. Giants coach John Harbaugh made it official Wednesday afternoon as the team looks to see what it has in the recently acquired McCarthy. He completed 11 of 21 passes for 243 yards with a touchdown and a pick in limited action against the Saints and had a pair of 40-yard completions.

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• Giants' J.J. McCarthy: Headed for Week 7 start

  Rotowire Oct 21, 2026

  The Giants plan to start McCarthy at quarterback in Sunday's game against the Texans, Jeremy Fowler of ESPN.com reports. McCarthy looks set to make his first start of the season and his first as a member of the Giants after an impressive showing in relief of the struggling Jameis Winston during Sunday's 34-27 loss to New Orleans. After checking into the game with the Giants down 24 points with just under 12 minutes remaining in the fourth quarter, McCarthy proceeded to lead a furious comeback bid. He completed 11 of 21 passes for 243 yards, one touchdown and one interception in less than a quarter of action, leading the Giants into the red zone for a potential game-tying score in the final minute before an incompletion on a fourth-and-1 play sealed the win for the Saints. With franchise signal-caller Jaxson Dart (knee) likely lost for the season, the Giants could be motivated to give an extended look at the 23-year-old McCarthy to see if he can emerge as a viable long-term backup option or a potential trade chip down the road.

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• Giants' J.J. McCarthy: Week 7 Waiver Priority List

  Rotowire Oct 20, 2026

  As of Monday night, we don't know if the Giants will start McCarthy or Jameis Winston in Week 7 at Houston, but McCarthy was great in place of Winston in the fourth quarter of Week 6 against New Orleans. Winston was benched against the Saints, and McCarthy rallied the Giants with 243 passing yards, one touchdown and one interception and 26 rushing yards. He's worth adding in all Superflex and two-quarterback leagues for at least 10 percent of your remaining FAAB, and McCarthy could be a nice surprise for Fantasy managers if he plays like he did against New Orleans for the rest of the season.

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• Giants' J.J. McCarthy: Leads late comeback attempt in Week 6 loss

  Rotowire Oct 18, 2026

  McCarthy replaced Jameis Winston in the fourth quarter of Sunday's 34-27 loss to the Saints, completing 11 of 21 passes for 243 yards and one touchdown with one interception. After Winston tossed his second pick of the game, this one in New York territory, New Orleans turned the ensuing possession into a two-play TD drive to go ahead 34-10. McCarthy stepped in and immediately threw an INT of his own on his first drive, but he settled in after that and led the Giants on three straight scoring drives as they mounted a desperate, but ultimately unsuccessful, comeback. It's not clear which QB will get the start in Week 7 against the Texans, but coach John Harbaugh may view a Week 8 bye as a better time to make a permanent switch to McCarthy.

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• Giants' J.J. McCarthy: Will continue to have package of plays

  Rotowire Oct 15, 2026

  Giants head coach Jim Harbaugh said Wednesday that he plans to keep using McCarthy in a change-of-pace role behind starting quarterback Jameis Winston in an effort to take advantage of McCarthy's scrambling ability, Jordan Raanan of ESPN.com reports. Acquired from the Vikings on Sept. 28, McCarthy has suited up for both of the Giants' ensuing two games but didn't make his team debut until this past Sunday's 27-27 tie with the Commanders. He ended up replacing Winston under center for five snaps, gaining two yards on two carries and having two of the plays wiped out by penalties. Despite the meager returns in his package of plays last week, McCarthy looks like he'll remain a marginal part of the game plan in Week 6 against the Saints. Harbaugh has given no indication that McCarthy will take over for Winston as the team's starter anytime soon.

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• Giants' J.J. McCarthy: Ready for No. 2 job

  Rotowire Oct 11, 2026

  McCarthy is serving as the Giants No. 2 quarterback for Sunday's game against the Commanders, Jordan Raanan of ESPN.com reports. Jake Haener backed up Jameis Winston last week versus the Cardinals, but he's inactive as New York's third quarterback for Sunday's contest. The No. 2 job is now officially McCarthy's after having a couple weeks to familiarize himself with a new playbook after being acquired from the Vikings in late September. Winston remains the starter for now, but McCarthy seems likely to get a look at some point this year for the Giants.

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• Giants' J.J. McCarthy: Dealt to Giants for draft pick

  Rotowire Sep 28, 2026

  The Giants acquired McCarthy from the Vikings on Monday in exchange for a 2027 fifth-round pick, Tom Pelissero of Netflix reports. The No. 10 overall pick in the 2024 NFL Draft, McCarthy had fallen out of favor in Minnesota and had dropped behind both Kyler Murray and Carson Wentz on the depth chart. The 23-year-old will get a fresh opportunity in New York, where he should at least settle in as the No. 2 quarterback behind Jameis Winston while Jaxson Dart (knee) is likely out for the season. Though Winston led the Giants to a 12-7 win over the Titans in his first start this past Sunday, he's completed just 25 of 49 pass attempts for 229 yards (4.7 YPA) while playing nearly two full games. Another underwhelming performance or two from Winston could compel the Giants to give McCarthy a look in the starting role once he has time to get up to speed with the new playbook.

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• Vikings' J.J. McCarthy: Serving as emergency QB3

  Rotowire Sep 13, 2026

  McCarthy (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. 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.

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• Vikings' J.J. McCarthy: Opens season third on depth chart

  Rotowire Sep 9, 2026

  Head coach Kevin O'Connell announced Wednesday that McCarthy will serve as the Vikings' third-string quarterback for Sunday's season opener versus the Packers. After losing out in the battle with newcomer Kyler Murray for the starting job prior to the preseason opener, McCarthy will plummet all the way to third on the depth chart heading into Week 1, with Carson Wentz settling in as Murray's top backup. O'Connell said that he considers the No. 2 quarterback "a week-to-week thing," so McCarthy could leapfrog Wentz on the depth chart in future games depending on how he performs during practice. In any case, the fact that the 23-year-old McCarthy has to battle for the No. 2 job less than three years after being selected with the No. 10 overall pick in the 2024 NFL Draft is an indiction Minnesota doesn't view him as its long-term solution under center.

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• Vikings' J.J. McCarthy: Back to full practice

  Rotowire Sep 2, 2026

  McCarthy (ankle) has practiced in full this week, Alec Lewis of The Athletic reports. Vikings GM Nolan Teasley said Wednesday that he also expects McCarthy to remain with the team this season, whether it's as Kyler Murray's direct backup or the QB3 behind Carson Wentz. Coach Kevin O'Connell seems to want more time with the 2024 first-rounder in an effort to continue to develop the 23-year-old. Across two preseason games this summer, McCarthy completed nine of 17 passes for 115 yards.

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• Vikings' J.J. McCarthy: Remains with Vikings

  Rotowire Aug 30, 2026

  McCarthy (ankle) remains on the 53-man roster for the Vikings, Adam Schefter of ESPN reports. There was talk leading up to cut-down day that McCarthy could be traded or even released, but he will remain with Minnesota for the time being. Kyler Murray will open the season as the starting quarterback for the Vikings, and either McCarthy or Carson Wentz will back him up.

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• Vikings' J.J. McCarthy: Sitting out Wednesday's practice

  Rotowire Aug 26, 2026

  Coach Kevin O'Connell said McCarthy won't practice Wednesday due to an ankle injury, but the Vikings are hopeful he'll start Friday's preseason contest at Denver, Alec Lewis of The Athletic reports. McCarthy came out of Saturday's exhibition loss to the Ravens with an undisclosed injury, which O'Connell clarified Wednesday. The team wants McCarthy to be the first QB under center in Friday's preseason finale, but Minnesota will continue to monitor whether that's possible for the third-year pro, per Ben Goessling of The Minnesota Star Tribune. Wednesday's absence in the form of rest is a means to that end.

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• Vikings' J.J. McCarthy: Practices Monday

  Rotowire Aug 24, 2026

  McCarthy (undisclosed) participated in Monday's practice, Kevin Seifert of ESPN.com reports. After losing out on the QB competition with Kyler Murray to begin training camp, McCarthy proceeded to get banged up in Saturday's 13-3 preseason loss to the Ravens, taking one sack while completing five of 10 passes for 81 yards. Seifert noted that McCarthy handled three reps in team drills Monday, which is a bit less than normal, but the Vikings held the session in shells and not pads, so the third-year pro likely still is dealing with the issue.

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• Vikings' J.J. McCarthy: Banged up in preseason game

  Rotowire Aug 22, 2026

  Vikings head coach Kevin O'Connell said that McCarthy was "a little hobbled" following Saturday's 13-3 preseason loss to the Ravens, Alec Lewis of The Athletic reports. McCarthy appeared to sustain the injury toward the tail end of the first quarter, and O'Connell relayed that the third-year quarterback would have been in the game for one more offensive series had it not been for the injury. He'll undergo further tests over the next couple of days, which will factor into whether he's available for the Vikings' preseason finale against the Broncos this Friday. Kyler Murray has already been named Minnesota's starter, and while McCarthy is lined up to be the backup, the latter is facing competition from Carson Wentz for the No. 2 job.

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• Vikings' J.J. McCarthy: Wants to remain with Vikings

  Rotowire Aug 13, 2026

  McCarthy told reporters Wednesday that he wants to remain in Minnesota despite losing the Vikings' quarterback competition to Kyler Murray, Kevin Seifert of ESPN.com reports. "This is the place I want to be," McCarthy said. "And I love every single person in this building. I love the state. I love the fanbase. And I'm going to continue to just do whatever I can for this team and this organization." Murray was named the team's Week 1 starter Tuesday and veteran backup Carson Wentz remains on the roster, leading to speculation that the Vikings could try to trade McCarthy. Minnesota's 2024 first-round draft pick missed his entire rookie season due to a knee injury, and McCarthy then threw for 1,632 yards with an 11:12 TD:INT across 10 starts during the 2025 regular season, prompting Minnesota to bring in an alternative option in Murray.

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• Vikings' J.J. McCarthy: Continues splitting reps

  Rotowire Jul 28, 2026

  McCarthy and Kyler Murray will split first-team reps during the early portion of training camp, Alec Lewis of The Athletic reports. McCarthy and Murray continue to engage in what seems like one of the league's few true quarterback competitions. Head coach Kevin O'Connell has stated that he has a timeline in place to announce a starter, but what that schedule is hasn't been revealed publicly. A 2024 first-round pick, McCarthy missed his entire rookie season due to injury and then logged an up-and-down Year 2, throwing for 1,632 yards with an 11:12 TD:INT across 10 regular-season starts in 2025.

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• Vikings' J.J. McCarthy: Sharing snaps with Murray

  Rotowire Jun 10, 2026

  McCarthy and free-agent addition Kyler Murray shared QB reps during Tuesday's mandatory minicamp practice, Lindsey Young of the Vikings' official site reports. Fellow signal callers Carson Wentz and Max Brosmer remain in the reserve mix, while Kevin Seifert of ESPN relays that Murray was on the field for the first QB snaps during team drills Tuesday, after which McCarthy took about an equal number of snaps with the starters -- as was the trend during the media-access portions of Minnesota's OTAs. Per Seifert, Murray is viewed as the favorite to win the the team's ongoing quarterback competition, but at this stage the No. 1 overall pick in the 2019 NFL draft continues his transition to a new offensive system while splitting work with McCarthy, the 10th overall pick in 2024, who is coming off a 2025 campaign in which he threw for 1,632 yards with an 11:12 TD:INT in 10 regular-season starts.

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• Vikings' J.J. McCarthy: Dropping down depth chart?

  Rotowire Mar 13, 2026

  McCarthy (hand) is unlikely to enter Week 1 as a starter after the Vikings signed Kyler Murray, according to Alec Lewis of The Athletic. For what it's worth, Vikings coach Kevin O'Connell declined to comment on expectations for a 2026 starter when reporters asked him Thursday. Reading between the lines, McCarthy's poor 2025 performance would make him a major underdog if a job battle were to take place, even against a post-prime version of Murray (who turns 29 in August). O'Connell is saying all of the things one might expect about continuing McCarthy's development, but odds are it'll be happening from the bench for at least the early part of the 2026 campaign.

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