Fantasy Football Rookie Spotlight: J.J. McCarthy

Quarterback J.J. McCarthy was a five-star prospect out of high school and committed to Michigan in 2019. McCarthy then went on to play three seasons with the Wolverines, where he was a starter for two years. In those two seasons, the 6-foot-3 signal-caller showcased his high IQ and arm strength.

Those two qualities raised his draft stock after a strong 2023 campaign, and the Minnesota Vikings eventually traded up one spot to select the former Michigan product. The Vikings took McCarthy with the 10th overall pick, a move that gave them their franchise quarterback.

McCarthy will now enter the 2024 season with a chance to win the starting job as a rookie. However, will he be the Vikings' starting quarterback in Week 1? What's the situation around him like? Let's dive in and find out.

College Production

Like most freshman quarterbacks coming into college, McCarthy saw a reserve role in his first year. He sat behind Cade McNamara for most of the season and saw limited opportunities. The young quarterback, though, did see some chances on offense for Michigan, totaling 516 passing yards, 124 rush yards, and seven total touchdowns.

With McNamara gone after the year, it was soon McCarthy's turn to take over the team. That turned out to be the case for the former five-star prospect in 2022. He started all 14 contests for the Wolverines that year and threw for 2,719 yards, 22 touchdowns, and five interceptions. One of his best games that season came in the College Football Playoff against TCU when he threw for 343 yards and two touchdowns while also running for 52 yards and one touchdown.

J.J McCarthy can’t make plays off script? 🤔👇pic.twitter.com/mpWPMBWBXd

— The Purple Persuasion (@TPPSkol) May 3, 2024

McCarthy then came back to Michigan for his junior year and put up very similar stats from the season before. He threw for 2,991 yards, 22 touchdowns, and four interceptions in 15 games. Most importantly, though, the quarterback helped Michigan win its first national championship since 1997 behind an undefeated season.

The biggest knock on McCarthy in college was the fact that his numbers weren't the best. He didn't throw for 3,000 passing yards in any of his college seasons while only having 49 career passing touchdowns. However, the Michigan quarterback did what was asked of him over the past two years, and he very rarely made mistakes on the field.

Rookie Year Situation

When the Vikings traded up with the New York Jets to select McCarthy in the 2024 NFL Draft, the former Michigan product landed in one of the best spots for a rookie quarterback. He not only has the chance to start right away for Minnesota but also has a strong supporting cast around him. Throwing passes to Justin Jefferson, Jordan Addison, T.J. Hockenson, and even Aaron Jones should help the rookie's development.

Now, the biggest question mark for McCarthy heading into the year is whether he will actually be Minnesota's starting quarterback in Week 1. Despite drafting him 10th overall, the Vikings also signed Sam Darnold this offseason to a one-year, $10 million deal. So, if the team doesn't think the rookie is ready to start right away, they don't necessarily need to go that route. Darnold could be a fine starter for them to begin the year.

The #Vikings were “blown away” and “overly impressed” by JJ McCarthy when he arrived the day after the draft, @DWolfsonKSTP mentioned on @SKORNorth.

Minnesota was already high on his leadership prior to the draft, but his presence around the facility assured them of this. pic.twitter.com/RmN6Kl8ppl

— VikingzFanPage (@vikingzfanpage) May 7, 2024

McCarthy, though, is likely the favorite to start the season as the Vikings quarterback. He also has the talent and IQ to immediately step in and produce solid NFL numbers, especially with wide receivers like Jefferson and Addison on the outside. If the rookie has a nice showing in training camp, there's a strong chance he will win that starting job.

Fantasy Football Outlook

If McCarthy does indeed win the starting job out of training camp, he would have some appeal in Superflex redraft formats. The rookie could be a nice late-round target -- he could serve as your QB3 on your fantasy roster. While fantasy managers should expect some bumps along the way in fantasy, having Jefferson as your go-to option should help him tremendously. That could result in some great fantasy days from the rookie. 

McCarthy could really be a sneaky quarterback option later in drafts, especially if he wins the starting job. Every fantasy manager will want to grab Caleb Williams or Jayden Daniels first, and while those rookies are certainly better fantasy targets in Year 1, the former Michigan product can also provide some fantasy value right away. He limits mistakes and can occasionally run -- given his 632 rush yards and 10 touchdowns in college. 

According to @joelklatt, he believes that #Vikings QB J.J. McCarthy WILL start right away for Minnesota because he's hyper-competitive, really skilled, & strong leader 👀

He also notes that there's a chance "the Vikings sweep the Rookie of the Year awards." 🤯

"The debate… pic.twitter.com/rqqXaESJBi

— The Purple Persuasion (@TPPSkol) May 9, 2024

In dynasty, McCarthy should absolutely be a first-round pick in Superflex formats. The Vikings quarterback should be going somewhere in the first 5-7 picks, depending on what fantasy managers prefer. 

Assuming Williams, Daniels, Marvin Harrison Jr., and Malik Nabers go top four, the former Michigan star has a strong case to be selected next at fifth overall. He is just 21 years old and likely will be attached to Jefferson and Addison for the foreseeable future. His landing spot in Minnesota makes him a great pick this early in dynasty Superflex formats. 

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