J.J. McCarthy Fantasy Stats

New York Giants quarterback J.J. McCarthy could move into the No. 2 spot behind Jameis Winston this week. Head coach John Harbaugh told Pat Leonard on Monday that having McCarthy serve as the backup against Washington is a "possibility" and something that's "on the table." McCarthy was one of three active quarterbacks in Sunday's 36-24 win over Arizona, but the Giants weren't ready to make him the full-time backup only days after acquiring him from Minnesota. Jake Haener filled that role while McCarthy was available for a possible situational package that was never used. Winston remains the starter after throwing for 250 yards and three touchdowns against the Cardinals. A move ahead of Haener would still be another step for McCarthy as he gets more comfortable in the offense ahead of Sunday's game in Washington.

New York Giants quarterback J.J. McCarthy will be the team's third-string quarterback for Week 4 against the Arizona Cardinals, according to Mike Garafolo of NFL Network. The Giants traded for McCarthy this past week, and while he should climb to first or second on the depth chart by midseason, he'll open this new chapter at the bottom of the depth chart. Presumably, the Giants want to give McCarthy a little more time to acclimate to the Giants' offensive system before putting him in a position where he's one snap away from getting onto the field. Jameis Winston will start for a second consecutive week against Arizona, looking to improve upon last week's stat line of 114 passing yards, zero touchdowns, and zero turnovers. Jake Haener has been elevated from the practice squad to back up Winston this week. For what it's worth, McCarthy is active, so the Giants could technically change their mind and put him ahead of Haener at any point.

New York Giants head coach John Harbaugh said that quarterback J.J. McCarthy spent "most of his time" this week learning New York's offense, and that the team is "still trying to figure out" whether he will be the Giants' QB2 or QB3, per ESPN's Jordan Raanan. With Giants quarterback Jaxson Dart (knee) out for the season, New York acquired McCarthy from the Minnesota Vikings on Monday. McCarthy could eventually take over as the starter for the Giants, but veteran Jameis Winston remains the QB1 in the short term. A former first-round pick, McCarthy threw for 1,632 yards, 10 touchdowns, and 11 interceptions across 10 starts with Minnesota in 2025. While the 23-year-old has struggled to this point in his NFL career, his mobility may make him a more natural replacement than Winston for Dart in the Giants' system. If McCarthy eventually takes over as the starter in New York, he could be worth starting in the right matchups in two-quarterback fantasy formats.

League sources told SNY's Connor Hughes that the New York Giants do not give up a fifth-round pick unless they plan to play quarterback J.J. McCarthy in the "near future." McCarthy was the Minnesota Vikings' 10th overall pick in the 2024 NFL Draft from Michigan. The 23-year-old was on track to start in his rookie year before a knee injury ended his season early and handed the job to Sam Darnold. Minnesota then let Darnold walk in free agency and handed the starting gig to McCarthy in 2025, but he crashed and burned as a first-time starter, throwing for 1,632 yards, 11 touchdowns, and 12 interceptions while missing extended time with injuries. He was erratic on the field and showed maturity concerns off the field, which is why the Vikings brought in Kyler Murray to compete with him this summer. Murray won the job, and McCarthy fell to third string, behind Carson Wentz. With Jaxson Dart (knee) done for the year, McCarthy gives the G-Men a gritty competitor who is mobile and has a strong arm. Veteran Jameis Winston won his first game as the starter in Week 3, but as soon as McCarthy is up to speed with head coach John Harbaugh's offense, he could get the nod to start games in New York.

The New York Giants are acquiring quarterback J.J. McCarthy from the Minnesota Vikings in a trade on Monday, sources told ESPN's Adam Schefter. The Ringer's Tom Pelissero reports that the Giants are sending the Vikings a 2027 fifth-round pick, per sources. With Jaxson Dart (knee) out for the season for the Giants, the team will add another young quarterback, and McCarthy will get a fresh start with a new organization. The Vikings took McCarthy with the 10th overall pick from Michigan in the 2024 NFL Draft. The 23-year-old did not play at all as a rookie due to a knee injury that required surgery. In his first NFL season in 2025, McCarthy struggled with accuracy, decision-making, and injuries, starting only 10 games and completing 57.6% of his pass attempts for 1,632 yards, 11 touchdowns, and 12 interceptions. He lost the starting QB competition to Kyler Murray in training camp this summer and then dropped to third on the depth chart behind veteran Carson Wentz. McCarthy will head to New York to learn a new offense and hopefully see some playing time over veteran Jameis Winston eventually, but that might not happen right away. In the long term, Dart is still the franchise signal-caller for the G-Men.

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.

Minnesota Vikings general manager Nolan Teasley said on Wednesday that he expects quarterback J.J. McCarthy (ankle), who has practiced in full the last two days, to be on the Week 1 roster, according to Alec Lewis of The Athletic. However, Teasley would not discuss whether McCarthy would be the backup to starter Kyler Murray over veteran Carson Wentz. The 23-year-old former 10th overall pick from Michigan in 2024 injured his ankle in the second preseason game and then was held out of the preseason finale, leading to speculation that the Vikings might cut McCarthy altogether if they could not find a trade partner for him. Not only will he be on the Week 1 roster, but McCarthy could still win the backup job now that he appears to be recovered from his ankle injury. McCarthy missed his entire rookie season after having knee surgery, and he flopped as the full-time starter in 2025, throwing for 1,632 yards, 11 touchdowns, and 12 interceptions in only 10 games while dealing with multiple injuries. His dynasty/keeper stock is at an all-time low going into the start of the 2026 season.

Minnesota Vikings quarterback J.J. McCarthy (ankle) is expected to miss multiple weeks, according to Adam Schefter. McCarthy suffered the injury during Minnesota's Aug. 22 preseason game against Baltimore and was unable to recover in time for Friday's finale against Denver. The Vikings had hoped to give him the entire first half in that game, but Carson Wentz started instead. Minnesota initially considered McCarthy day-to-day, making Schefter's new timetable a notable change. The 2024 first-round pick still made the Vikings' initial 53-man roster alongside Kyler Murray, Wentz and Max Brosmer. Murray was already named the starter earlier this month, so McCarthy's absence does not change Minnesota's QB1 situation. McCarthy started 10 games last season, throwing for 1,632 yards, 11 touchdowns and 12 interceptions while adding 181 rushing yards and four scores. His injury does leave Wentz and Brosmer as Minnesota's healthy options behind Murray for the opening weeks.

Minnesota Vikings quarterback J.J. McCarthy (ankle) made the team's initial 53-man roster, according to Adam Schefter of ESPN.com. There had been plenty of speculation that McCarthy could be traded or released, but he ultimately remains with the Vikings for now. With that said, we can't rule out the possibility of him being moved at a later date. Minnesota has four quarterbacks on its roster, which probably isn't sustainable for a long time. Kyler Murray has already been named the Week 1 starter, and the Vikings presumably would have released Carson Wentz or Max Brosmer if they didn't envision them having any sort of role. That leaves McCarthy as the odd man out. It feels a bit bizarre to talk about cutting bait on a first-round pick after just one year of NFL action, but it was a pretty brutal stretch. He missed all of 2024 due to injury, and across 10 games last year, he completed just 57.6% of his pass attempts for 1,632 yards, 11 touchdowns, and 12 interceptions. A fresh start might be the only way for McCarthy to salvage his NFL career, but until that happens, he can be avoided in all fantasy football leagues.

The Athletic's Alec Lewis is projecting Minnesota Vikings quarterback J.J. McCarthy (ankle) to lose out on the QB2 job to veteran Carson Wentz and to be left off the initial 53-man roster to begin the 2026 season. McCarthy struggled in last week's preseason game against the Baltimore Ravens, came out of it with a minor ankle injury, and was held out of the preseason finale on Friday against the Denver Broncos. Wentz made the start on Friday and appears to be in line to be the Vikings' backup behind starter Kyler Murray. McCarthy's "comfort (or lack thereof) with being the QB3 could dictate his future in Minnesota," Lewis writes. Max Brosmer's future with the organization is also in doubt after a poor preseason performance. McCarthy, the 10th overall pick from Michigan in 2024, missed his entire rookie campaign after having surgery to fix the meniscus in his knee. In his first go as a starter in the NFL last year, McCarthy flopped, playing in only 10 games due to injuries and throwing for 1,632 yards, 11 touchdowns, and 12 interceptions. A trade out of town at this point might be the best thing for McCarthy's long-term fantasy value in dynasty/keeper leagues.