Is J.J. McCarthy Or Sam Darnold The Starting Quarterback For The Vikings In Week 1? Fantasy Football Outlook

The Minnesota Vikings made several changes this offseason. However, the most significant change came at the quarterback position. Kirk Cousins signed with the Atlanta Falcons in free agency after spending the past six years with the Vikings.

Minnesota quickly signed Sam Darnold to a one-year deal. He joined Nick Mullens in the quarterback room heading into the NFL Draft. While everyone thought the Vikings would trade into the top five to select J.J. McCarthy, the team only had to move up one spot from 11th to 10th overall to secure the former Michigan star.

However, which quarterback will be the Week 1 starter in Minnesota? Let’s determine whether fantasy players should draft Darnold or McCarthy in 2024.

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Is J.J. McCarthy Or Sam Darnold The Starting Quarterback For The Vikings In Week 1?

The Vikings named Darnold the QB1 heading into training camp last month. While the veteran was a bust as the former No. 3 overall pick in the 2018 NFL Draft, Darnold is a capable bridge-gap starter. Furthermore, Minnesota doesn’t want to rush their first-round rookie quarterback onto the field.

Therefore, it’s no surprise that the Vikings listed Darnold as the starting quarterback on their first unofficial depth. While McCarthy could earn the starting role over the next few weeks, fantasy players should expect the veteran to be under center in Week 1 against the New York Giants.

The #Vikings list QB Sam Darnold as the starter on their initial depth chart, not a surprise.

— Ian Rapoport (@RapSheet) August 6, 2024

Should I Draft J.J. McCarthy Or Sam Darnold?

McCarthy has had some impressive moments during training camp, especially in the red zone. However, the rookie has also had some awful plays. Fantasy players in single-quarterback leagues shouldn’t draft either Minnesota signal caller this year. Even if McCarthy or Darnold start all 17 games, neither quarterback will end the season as a top-15 fantasy option.

Per @LGlodek, #Vikings QB J.J. McCarthy throws a beautiful ball to the corner of the endzone on his first play of 7 on 7.

Perfect placement 🎯

🎥: @Dust_Vikings pic.twitter.com/bDPvoxNDlA

— The Purple Persuasion (@TPPSkol) July 30, 2024

However, McCarthy should get drafted ahead of Darnold in superflex leagues. The rookie will eventually get on the field and has more fantasy upside than the veteran. More importantly, he will have an outstanding set of weapons at his disposal, led by Justin Jefferson.

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