Gretch predicted J.J. McCarthy will smash ADP because the Vikings paired him with an offensive line that Brandon Thorne labeled the most improved in football, added Aaron Jones as a pass-game outlet, and already boast Jefferson, Addison and Hockenson. Even though two of McCarthy’s first throws were off-target, the receiving corps erased the mistakes, illustrating the fantasy floor he inherits. Gretch added that McCarthy’s reasonable mobility gives him sneaky 400-plus rushing-yard upside, making him the last quarterback in drafts with a plausible dual-threat ceiling.

Derek Brown is drafting J.J. McCarthy everywhere. Minnesota ranked 8th in neutral pass rate and 3rd in pass rate over expectation last year, and Kevin O’Connell quarterbacks keep finishing as QB1s (Sam Darnold was QB9 in points per game in 2024). Brown pointed out that the Vikings added offensive-line help and still boast an elite skill group, giving the first-year starter time and weapons to thrive. Collegiately, McCarthy finished top-12 among FBS signal callers in PFF passing grade, adjusted completion rate, YPA, downfield accuracy and performance under pressure. Brown expects those traits to translate and keep the Vikings’ streak of fantasy-elite passers alive, making McCarthy a late-round league-winner.

Shawn Siegele pressed for grabbing J.J. McCarthy as a second quarterback behind Dak Prescott. McCarthy gets Detroit at home in Week 17, a matchup Siegele expects to carry the highest total of the fantasy-championship slate. Pairing McCarthy with Jordan Addison creates a leverage game stack that few of the top-30 FFPC Main-Event teams will have. The move also gives insurance if Dak struggles in Week 1 and keeps the roster from streaming the position later. Siegele framed McCarthy as a tournament ceiling play rather than a weekly starter, but one that could deliver a million-dollar swing in the sprint weeks.

Ben Gretch identified J.J. McCarthy as a priority late-round quarterback, explaining that his projections spit out a top-10 finish thanks to Kevin O'Connell’s aggressive pass rate and the NFL’s best trio of receiving weapons: Justin Jefferson, Jordan Addison, and T.J. Hockenson. Minnesota also fortified the interior offensive line and added Aaron Jones as a high-end outlet receiver, creating a path to elite passing efficiency so long as McCarthy "doesn't suck." Camp reports indicate the first-rounder has been scrambling naturally, giving him a little rushing juice on top of the aerial volume. Gretch believes McCarthy’s realistic ceiling is overall QB6 with a floor around QB20, making him an ideal upside pairing with a safer starter like Dak Prescott in one-QB season-long leagues.

Warren Sharp said J.J. McCarthy should immediately function as a viable fantasy QB2 because Kevin O’Connell’s structure does so much of the heavy lifting. Sharp reminded listeners that the same system just turned Sam Darnold into the NFL’s No. 5 passer (4,319 yds, 35 TD, 9 INT) while ranking No. 2 in CPOE and No. 1 in deep-ball efficiency. In 2024 the scheme finished fourth in early-down efficiency, sixth in first-down motion rate, and third in first-down play-action rate, leading to the league’s highest explosive-pass rate on first downs and the second-best first-quarter scoring offense (109 points, up from 40). With a remodeled interior line (Ryan Kelly, Will Freeze, first-rounder Donovan Jackson) giving cleaner pockets, McCarthy “won’t be asked to carry the world,” just avoid turnovers and trust layered route concepts. Sharp does not expect as many 20-plus-yard shots as Darnold took (49 % completion on deep balls), so the rookie’s ceiling is tempered, but the floor looks safer than typical late-round passers in SuperFlex, best-ball, or deep redraft formats.

Derek Brown advised drafting J.J. McCarthy everywhere because Kevin O'Connell’s pass-happy attack (8th in neutral pass rate, 3rd in PROE last year) routinely pumps out QB1 seasons. Sam Darnold finished QB9 per game in the same system, and Brown believes the more talented McCarthy keeps the streak alive. In his final college season McCarthy ranked top-12 nationally in PFF passing grade, adjusted completion rate, yards per attempt, deep-ball accuracy, and efficiency against pressure. Minnesota upgraded the offensive line and is still stacked with targets, setting up what Brown calls a "wheels-up" landing spot for fantasy.

Best Ball Guy blasted the idea of pushing J.J. McCarthy up the board just to complete stacks. McCarthy "didn't play a single snap" last season after a meniscus tear, and BBG doubts the quarterback will regain the rushing aggressiveness that drives his fantasy appeal, calling it a "mental battle." He labeled it reckless to take the rookie ahead of known NFL starters when McCarthy’s mobility and real-life role are both unproven.

Freedman spotlighted McCarthy on the Action Network Podcast and reiterated that he is on every late-round list. Despite a modest QB20 projection (274.2 points) at ADP QB19, Freedman sees a much higher ceiling. McCarthy is throwing to Justin Jefferson, Jordan Addison, and T.J. Hockenson in Kevin O’Connell’s offense and can lean on Aaron Jones. He reminded readers McCarthy owns a 6.82 three-cone, a 72.3% college completion rate, 9.8 adjusted yards per attempt, and championships at both high-school and college levels, all pointing to untapped fantasy upside.

Fantasy Dog Pound advised fading J.J. McCarthy at his Underdog ADP in the low-120s, calling it "ridiculous" that the Vikings passer is going ahead of Trevor Lawrence and even Justin Herbert. He feels McCarthy belongs in the mid-130s alongside Michael Penix Jr., noting the uncertainty surrounding an unproven quarterback in a new system and the risk that poor performance or injury could force Sam Howell onto the field. Given those downside paths, he labeled McCarthy one of the worst QB values on the board at present cost.

Sam Monson cautioned fantasy drafters not to overpay for J.J. McCarthy because his college résumé lacks any evidence he can handle NFL-level passing volume. At Michigan he frequently attempted fewer than 25 throws and once logged just ten dropbacks against Penn State. By contrast, Sam Darnold exceeded 30 dropbacks in every game but two and hit the 40-attempt mark six times in O’Connell’s system last year. Monson argued that until McCarthy proves he can survive 40-plus attempts on consecutive Sundays, his weekly ceiling and season-long floor remain volatile. He advised treating McCarthy as a matchup-based streaming option rather than an every-week starter in Season-Long leagues and fading him in early-season DFS cash builds.

Steve Palazzolo said J.J. McCarthy steps into what might be the league’s most quarterback-friendly environment and is positioned to smash expectations for fantasy gamers. McCarthy gets a true red-shirt benefit after sitting last season, throws to an elite trio in Justin Jefferson, Jordan Addison and T.J. Hockenson, and now plays behind tackles Christian Darrisaw and Brian O’Neill plus a completely rebuilt interior that added Ryan Kelly, Will Fries and first-round guard Donovan Jackson. Palazzolo compared the situation to the early setups that fueled year-two explosions from Patrick Mahomes and Aaron Rodgers, noting Kevin O’Connell already coaxed career-best efficiency out of Kirk Cousins and a 14-3 campaign from Sam Darnold. With Flores’ blitz-heavy defense likely to create short fields, Palazzolo views McCarthy as a high-upside QB2 in Best Ball tournaments and a late-round DFS tournament dart early in the season.

Sean Koerner encouraged fantasy managers to scoop up J.J. McCarthy at his 139 overall ADP (QB19) because the situation screams upside. Koerner reminded listeners that every quarterback Kevin O’Connell has touched—Kirk Cousins, Nick Mullins, Josh Dobbs, and last season Sam Darnold—has delivered a career-best fantasy year in this system. McCarthy, finally healthy after a red-shirt rookie year, gets to throw to Justin Jefferson, Jordan Addison, and T.J. Hockenson while bringing more rushing juice than Darnold ever offered. Although camp reports have been uneven, Koerner is fine embracing the volatility: the floor is low, but the ceiling is legitimate top-10 given the pass-catching firepower and built-in scrambling production. In 1QB formats McCarthy is a free bench lottery ticket; in superflex or best-ball he’s the perfect late-round swing that can unlock weekly spike weeks if/when he gets comfortable.

Jake Ciely pushed back on McCarthy’s hype, projecting roughly 4,000 yards and 26 passing TDs—numbers he says will not crack QB1 territory without a hefty rushing bonus. Ciely compared McCarthy’s college tape to Taylor Heinicke, pointing out that even with Kevin O’Connell’s help those passing totals fall short unless McCarthy adds 300-plus rushing yards and 4-5 scores on the ground. He currently has McCarthy and Bryce Young back-to-back outside his top-12 and would rather bypass the entire QB10-QB20 tier if he can’t land a Fields or Caleb Williams earlier. Ciely advises drafters not to assume Minnesota’s system alone guarantees elite fantasy output.

Ian Hartitz said J.J. McCarthy is the single best late-round QB flier in 2025 drafts because Kevin O’Connell’s system keeps turning average signal-callers into weekly fantasy starters. He noted Kirk Cousins averaged top-10 fantasy points per game in 2022-23, Josh Dobbs posted multiple top-10 weeks, and even Nick Mullins had three top-15 finishes under KOC. Minnesota still boasts Justin Jefferson, an upper-tier O-line and the same aggressive, pass-first play-calling. Hartitz added that draft analyst Dane Brugler believed McCarthy would have been the No. 1 overall pick in this class, so drafters are getting that ceiling at a double-digit-round ADP. In a situation he called “arguably the most ideal offensive environment,” Hartitz expects McCarthy’s efficiency plus modest rushing to unlock consistent QB1/2 weeks for best-ball and season-long managers paying almost nothing.

Ian Hartitz views JJ McCarthy as a plug-and-play fantasy QB2 with QB1 upside because Kevin O’Connell’s scheme reliably inflates passing numbers. Under O’Connell, Kirk Cousins posted two of his best fantasy seasons, Josh Dobbs rattled off top-10 weeks, and even Nick Mullins logged three top-15 finishes. Hartitz reasons that if journeymen can thrive throwing to Justin Jefferson and friends, a highly drafted McCarthy should slide right into 35-plus attempts per game with a stellar supporting cast, giving drafters a cheap pathway to 4,000-plus yards and 25-30 scores.

Matthew Freedman said J.J. McCarthy is his favorite late-round breakout quarterback. Freedman trusts Kevin O'Connell after the coach coaxed career-best production out of Kirk Cousins and even made Sam Darnold look "MVP-adjacent" last season. McCarthy walks into an ideal ecosystem that features Justin Jefferson, Jordan Addison, T.J. Hockenson and Aaron Jones plus a top-10 offensive line. Freedman cited McCarthy’s 9.8 adjusted yards per attempt, 72.3% completion rate at Michigan and a 6.82 three-cone time that confirms real scrambling ability. The rookie effectively had a red-shirt year while rehabbing his knee, giving him time to master the playbook. Freedman believes McCarthy’s ceiling rivals quarterbacks going two-to-five rounds earlier, making him a must-draft value in best-ball and redraft formats.

Sean Koerner recommended scooping J.J. McCarthy as a third quarterback in best-ball builds that already include Justin Jefferson or Jordan Addison. The 2023 first-rounder lost his entire rookie year to a torn meniscus, but Koerner noted that Kevin O’Connell’s scheme has elevated every passer who has taken snaps—from Sam Darnold to Nick Mullens and Josh Dobbs—so it should super-charge a healthy McCarthy once he’s ready. The Vikings opened last season 5-0 with Darnold, finished 14-3, and would have had little incentive to turn the job over even if McCarthy were healthy, meaning the public still hasn’t seen him in the system. Koerner expects McCarthy to push Darnold by mid-season, and if he does seize the role, his athleticism plus elite receiving corps give him 30-point punch during playoff weeks. Because his ADP sits in the 200s, the opportunity cost is negligible while the potential correlation with Minnesota’s stars is enormous.

Jeff Mueller dismissed lingering concerns about J.J. McCarthy’s knee after last year’s meniscus repair. Initial reports of swelling and the possibility of a second scope have resolved—surgeons found no structural damage and injected biologics to calm the cartilage. McCarthy has completed his throwing program, added good weight in the weight room, and shown full lower-body load-bearing ability in agility drills, which tells Mueller the joint is tolerating twist and shear forces essential for pocket movement. While Mueller expects Minnesota to minimize designed runs this season—leaning on Aaron Jones, Jordan Mason, and an upgraded offensive line—he sees no mobility restrictions and projects McCarthy to function as a pure passer in Year 1. Rich Hribar compared the rookie’s 2025 fantasy range of outcomes to Brock Purdy: fewer than 600 dropbacks but highly efficient thanks to Kevin O’Connell’s scheme, elite weapons (Justin Jefferson, T.J. Hockenson), and a top-tier defense that will keep games scripted in his favor. Mueller therefore tags McCarthy as a strong QB3 in best-ball tournaments and a priority third quarterback in superflex builds, with the bonus of Minnesota’s favorable futures profile if he simply protects the football better than Sam Darnold did.

McFarland pushed J.J. McCarthy into Tier 7 and nearly jumped him to Tier 4, citing the Vikings’ loaded skill group and McCarthy’s underrated mobility. If the rookie “spins it like his predecessors” and adds rushing value, McFarland believes it will be difficult for him to fail, making McCarthy a priority sleeper at the tail end of drafts.

Nick Whalen passed on J.J. McCarthy over 24.5 passing touchdowns at –105. Whalen treats McCarthy as a de-facto rookie—he missed virtually all practice reps after the preseason knee injury last year—and reminds listeners that only five rookies since 2000 have reached 25 TDs (Herbert, Mayfield, Wilson, Nix, Daniels). Although McCarthy inherits elite weapons and Kevin O’Connell’s QB-friendly system, Whalen balks at laying minus money on a quarterback with zero regular-season snaps and uncertain Week-1 readiness.

Ryan Heath called J.J. McCarthy a slam-dunk final-round pick everywhere. Kevin O’Connell has finished top-6 in pass rate over expectation and top-5 in red-zone pass rate every single year, and that play-calling juice turned Nick Mullens into an 18-point fantasy starter and Josh Dobbs into nearly 20 points per game. Even Sam Darnold posted a QB9 finish under O’Connell despite a battered offensive line. Heath argued that if you think McCarthy is merely a pedestrian prospect, he’s still undervalued; if you think he’s good, his current undrafted status is criminal. In home-league redraft you can take him in Round 15-16 and walk away with no other QB. In Best Ball, he’s the perfect QB2/3 on hyper-fragile builds because the Vikings will throw at the goal line and play fast regardless of game script.

Nez said his preferred Badge Bros Brawl structure starts with taking a running back at pick 2, then building the rest of the lineup around a J.J. McCarthy double-stack. Grabbing McCarthy well after the elite quarterbacks lets you anchor the roster with one early wide receiver and pile on multiple "contingency" running-back bets while the room chases chalk stacks. Because McCarthy comes at a discount and is rarely paired with two pass catchers, Nez believes the approach delivers both uniqueness and late-season ceiling without sacrificing early projection.

Sam Wallace likes J.J. McCarthy at his Underdog QB16 tag, arguing that Kevin O’Connell’s Vikings provide a "ready-made" offense. He cited Sam Darnold’s competent fill-in work as evidence the scheme is plug-and-play. McCarthy inherits Justin Jefferson, Jordan Addison, T.J. Hockenson and newly-signed Aaron Jones plus at least nine dome games, giving him a realistic path to fringe QB1 numbers even if he is not asked to carry the offense the way he was not asked at Michigan.

Chris Raybon pushed back on Sean Koerner’s 235-yards-per-game projection for rookie J.J. McCarthy. Raybon reminded listeners that Kevin O’Connell’s system produced 257 team passing yards per game last year with Sam Darnold and 260-plus with Kirk Cousins the two seasons prior. With Justin Jefferson and a healthy T.J. Hockenson back in the mix, Raybon thinks climbing into the 260–270 range is realistic, a level that would place McCarthy inside the league’s top eight in raw yardage. He concedes a slightly heavier run rate is possible after adding Jordan Mason, but still expects Minnesota to rank top-10 in pass rate over expectation. Raybon views McCarthy as more than a streaming QB2, calling him a late-round flier who can return fringe QB1 value if O’Connell leans on his stacked receiving corps.

Sean Koerner projected rookie J.J. McCarthy as a high-variance QB2 who could flirt with QB1 weeks in Kevin O’Connell’s quarterback-friendly system. Koerner likened McCarthy’s 2024 outlook to last year’s Sam Darnold run in the same offense: not a locked-in starter but perfectly streamable when matchups align. He expects roughly 235 passing yards per game on 32–34 attempts, noting that Minnesota’s pace spiked to 36 attempts per game once T.J. Hockenson returned from injury last year. McCarthy sat all of 2023 with a meniscus tear yet spent the season in meetings and on the practice field, giving him a mental head start similar to Patrick Mahomes’ red-shirt year. Koerner also highlighted McCarthy’s underrated rushing chops (over 500 collegiate scrambling yards) as the swing factor that can push fantasy lines past 20 points. With a wide range of outcomes and late-round ADP, Koerner is stashing McCarthy as a hyper-mobile QB3 who can be started whenever the Vikings face a pass-funnel defense.

Pat Fantasy Dog Pound said he purposely clicked J.J. McCarthy over Jared Goff because this particular Best Ball Mania roster is already jam-packed with Vikings pieces. He admitted McCarthy is unlikely to outscore Goff on raw projection but argued that if Justin Jefferson, Jordan Addison and the rest of the Minnesota stack are going to carry the squad through Weeks 15-17, the rookie quarterback has to be the one delivering those points. In Pat’s words, "we need Minnesota to be perfect," so the correlated ceiling McCarthy provides is worth more than Goff’s safer floor in an uncorrelated offense. It’s the classic playoff-weeks game-theory bet—take the lower ADP passer who can fully unlock an existing stack rather than chase isolated production.

Pat Fantasy Dog Pound thinks the market has gotten out over its skis on J.J. McCarthy. He noted that McCarthy routinely goes off the board before Justin Herbert and Jordan Love, which Pat called "a little weird." In his personal ranks the rookie would sit behind both veterans—maybe only a spot ahead of C.J. Stroud—because he still has to prove NFL efficiency and may start the season behind Sam Darnold. Pat’s advice is to wait for a price drop or simply take the more bankable production from Herbert or Love in that tier.

Andy Holloway stumped for J.J. McCarthy as a late-round quarterback who could surprise right away. Holloway cited Kevin O’Connell’s track record of coaxing fantasy production from any signal-caller: Sam Darnold finished QB8 over his starts, Nick Mullens logged three top-12 weeks in four outings, Josh Dobbs produced two QB1 weeks in five games, and Kirk Cousins sat at QB4 pacing toward 5,000 yards pre-injury. Holloway contends McCarthy—a more talented prospect than Darnold—steps into a system that generated 34 pass attempts and 268 yards per game last season. Even with the league’s fifth-toughest schedule, the Vikings’ pass-heavy approach and elite supporting cast headlined by Justin Jefferson and T.J. Hockenson give McCarthy a clear path to low-end QB1 spikes and a rock-solid QB2 floor in season-long formats.

Tyler Knaeble argued that J.J. McCarthy is an overrated pick at current ADP because the only eligible teammate he can stack with is rookie wideout Ty Felton. Knaeble reiterated that stacking remains 'one of the most important things in this contest,' and without meaningful QB-WR correlation McCarthy lineups have a lower finals ceiling than builds built around Caleb Williams or Jayden Daniels. He recommended fading McCarthy—or at least knocking him down draft boards—unless Felton falls multiple spots below ADP, freeing you to spend earlier capital on more flexible quarterbacks.

Kevin Szafraniec said J.J. McCarthy is mis-priced in FFPC best-ball drafts and should be scooped up whenever he lasts past QB20. Szafraniec trusts Kevin O’Connell’s track record of coaxing efficiency out of every quarterback he’s touched—citing how the Vikings stayed afloat last year with Josh Dobbs, Jaren Hall and Nick Mullens after Kirk Cousins tore his Achilles and even made Sam Darnold look competent in camp. McCarthy lost his entire rookie season to injury, which Kevin believes is artificially suppressing his ADP, yet he still spent that year in meetings absorbing O’Connell’s scheme. Now he walks into a dome offense featuring Justin Jefferson, Jordan Addison, T.J. Hockenson and new back Aaron Jones, plus likely pass-heavy game scripts inside a shoot-out-prone NFC North. Kevin views McCarthy as a cheap Week-17 correlation play (Packers–Vikings) with legitimate top-12 seasonal upside and is comfortable pairing him with a veteran QB2 in Superflex or using him as a late QB3/4 in standard best-ball tournament builds.

Davis Mattek highlighted J.J. McCarthy’s sneaky rushing chops, noting that the rookie logged 57 carries for 340 yards and three touchdowns last season at Michigan—18 of those attempts being scrambles that produced 168 yards. Mattek argued that kind of mobility translates to easy fantasy points and raises McCarthy’s week-to-week ceiling should he push Sam Darnold for reps or grab garbage-time snaps late in the year. Because rushing QBs historically out-kick their passing projections, Mattek likes McCarthy as a low-owned QB3 dart in Puppy drafts, especially on Vikings-heavy teams where drafters already invested in Jefferson or Addison.

Emory Hunt labeled J.J. McCarthy a 2024 bust. Minnesota dumped Sam Darnold after a 14-win season, spurned Aaron Rodgers’ overtures, and will start an unproven rookie who is still rehabbing an injury. Hunt argued the small preseason sample we saw of McCarthy is nowhere near enough to project weekly consistency once defenses game-plan for him. With sky-high expectations and no transition period, Hunt is fading McCarthy in redraft formats and warns bettors against Rookie of the Year futures.

Terrell Furman Jr. tossed J.J. McCarthy into the AP Comeback Player of the Year conversation at +850. McCarthy is coming off a meniscus tear that wiped out his rookie campaign, and Furman believes voters default to quarterbacks when award fields are muddied. He argued that if Minnesota wins the division and secures a top-two NFC seed—outcomes he already likes—the narrative of a "former top-10 pick returning from injury to lead a playoff team" will resonate with media voters. Given Kevin O’Connell’s QB-friendly system and the possibility of double-digit Viking wins, Furman thinks +850 is generous for award exposure to an ascending rookie passer.

Sam Monson said J.J. McCarthy is a legitimate late-round fantasy target because Minnesota has quietly built a near-perfect landing spot for a first-year starter. Monson rattled off an elite pass-catching trio—Justin Jefferson, Jordan Addison and T.J. Hockenson—plus a re-worked interior line that now features Will Fries, Ryan Kelly and rookie Donovan Jackson between top-10 tackles Christian Darrisaw and Brian O’Neill. He highlighted Kevin O’Connell’s history of super-charging quarterbacks (a .500 Kirk Cousins became a consistent winner and Sam Darnold produced an MVP-caliber campaign) as further evidence that the scheme itself will elevate McCarthy. Drawing historical parallels to Carson Palmer replacing Jon Kitna and Patrick Mahomes stepping in for Alex Smith, Monson argued that a talented rookie inheriting a veteran’s well-oiled offense has produced multiple top-12 fantasy seasons. The fact that the Vikings are handing McCarthy the job after a 14-win year with Darnold underscores their internal confidence. Monson conceded the NFL tape sample is basically "half a preseason game" against Raiders backups, but believes the surrounding infrastructure, a likely high-volume passing script and O’Connell’s proven quarterback-friendly system give McCarthy immediate QB2 value with a realistic path to low-end QB1 production in season-long and best-ball formats.

Pete Overzet noted that J.J. McCarthy’s ADP is all over the place—he has seen him go as early as 110 to Justin Jefferson drafters and fall into the 130s in other rooms—creating a buying window for managers who already own Vikings skill players. Because his roster carried Jordan Addison and T.J. Hockenson, Overzet preferred McCarthy over Michael Penix at pick 130, calling the move a cheap way to assemble a ‘Minnesota megastack.’ He added that with Josh Allen already locked in as QB1, drafters don’t need McCarthy to start every week; they just need a couple of spike games down the stretch, which lines up with late-season rookie improvement trends. The takeaway: if you already have Vikings pass catchers, wait for McCarthy’s slide and grab him in the 11th round to maximize correlation without sacrificing quarterback firepower.

Tyler Knaeble said he is willing to push J.J. McCarthy up to roughly pick 140—well ahead of ADP—whenever he already has Justin Jefferson on a roster. He reminded viewers that Minnesota ranked third in neutral-situation pass rate last season and spent top-10 draft capital plus extra picks on McCarthy, signaling the rookie will take over for Sam Darnold sooner rather than later. Knaeble thinks Darnold’s shaky pocket presence makes a mid-season handoff almost inevitable and that the Jefferson-McCarthy combo offers unique late-season upside at a modest price. He also pointed out that a Week-17 showdown with Green Bay gives the stack natural bring-back correlation in Best Ball Mania finals. Given that McCarthy is currently going 20-plus spots after fellow first-round rookies, Knaeble views the small reach as +EV closing-line value once beat writers start charting first-team reps in August.

Jakob Sanderson argued that dynasty managers are overpaying for J.J. McCarthy. Sanderson noted the rookie attempted fewer passes in his entire college career than Caleb Williams completed, labeling him a low-volume, low-rushing profile similar to Mac Jones. Even if Kevin O’Connell keeps Minnesota among the league leaders in neutral-situation pass rate, Sanderson believes McCarthy’s fantasy ceiling tops out at Sam Darnold–level QB1 weeks, which would still leave him only in the late-20s of Superflex startup value. He warned that the Vikings fan base just watched Darnold thrive in the same scheme, so patience will evaporate quickly if McCarthy struggles. Because a poor rookie season could send his value crashing, Sanderson recommends treating McCarthy as a back-end QB2 rather than paying current top-15 prices.

Davis Mattek urged drafters to be more aggressive on J.J. McCarthy, calling him the rare rookie quarterback set up to smash early and hold dynasty value. McCarthy is locked into a five-year rookie deal, will play at least nine dome games annually, and gets to sling it to Justin Jefferson, Jordan Addison, Ty Felton, and T.J. Hockenson under Kevin O’Connell’s pass-first system. Mattek noted that Minnesota ranked top-6 in neutral-situation pass rate last year and expects a similar philosophy after guaranteeing Sam Darnold $100 million to serve as only a short-term bridge. Even a league-average 32–34 pass attempts per game could produce QB1 weeks thanks to elite YAC weapons and controlled indoor environments that minimize weather variance. Mattek concluded that McCarthy’s combination of contract length, supporting cast, and dome schedule makes him a screaming buy anywhere he is priced outside the top-12 dynasty quarterbacks.