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    J.J. McCarthy, Carson Wentz split second-team reps

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    MIN Quarterback #9
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    J.J. McCarthy and Carson Wentz split the second-team reps at Vikings training camp on Tuesday.

    The Vikings spent a lot of energy having a pretend quarterback competition between McCarthy and Kyler Murray this offseason, but at least it kept them fresh for this second pretend competition where McCarthy will push Wentz for second-team duties. McCarthy is an obvious trade candidate and it would be surprising if he was higher than the third-team quarterback to open the season in Minnesota. One of these quarterbacks is more reliable than the other and somehow that quarterback is Carson Wentz.
Glenn's 'grand plan' falls apart against Packers
John Fanta and Jay Croucher unpack Aaron Glenn's press conference after the New York Jets' shocking loss against the Green Bay Packers in overtime, and his questionable coaching decisions down the stretch.

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  • MIN Quarterback #11
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    KOC didn’t mince words, saying, “This gives us the best chance to win this Sunday.” O’Connell did note that the backup quarterback decisions will be made on a week-to-week basis. Still, this serves as another indictment of J.J. McCarthy, who will presumably be inactive for Week 1. The former first-round pick is unlikely to play at all this year and will likely be looking for a new team after the season ends.
  • MIN Quarterback #9
    Teasley did not say whether McCarthy will be the backup or third-string quarterback. McCarthy is practicing in full after missing time with an ankle injury late in camp. His spotty play during training camp and the preseason, plus the missed time due to injury, all but guarantee Carson Wentz will be the team’s backup to open the year. As the QB3, McCarthy will likely be a healthy scratch, only able to enter the game if both quarterbacks ahead of him go down with injuries. The fact that he is expected to be on the Week 1 roster only means Teasley was unable to find someone willing to trade even a late-round pick for McCarthy.
  • MIN Quarterback #9
    The Athletic’s Alec Lewis made a Saturday stir when he left McCarthy off his Vikings 53-man roster prediction, but that would have been hasty even if the Vikes are convinced “Nine” has no future with the organization. This keeps open the possibility of some sort of pick swap trade, or perhaps even “development” behind Kyler Murray and Carson Wentz. We doubt coach Kevin O’Connell is holding his breath on that one. A manifest bust through his first two years in the league, McCarthy could also end up waived later this week after the Vikes make a few waiver claims. Even if his time in Minnesota has yet to come to an end, the clock is still ticking.
  • MIN Quarterback #9
    McCarthy left preseason Week 2 with an ankle injury and returned to practice before ultimately missing preseason Week 3 altogether. According to Lewis, that only added to the murkiness about McCarthy’s 2026 status. All signs point to Carson Wentz as the QB2 after he started Friday’s game against the Broncos. Lewis adds that “McCarthy’s comfort (or lack thereof) with being QB3 could dictate his future in Minnesota” and projects that the Vikings won’t carry him on the 53-man roster to begin the regular season. The 10th overall pick in the draft only two years ago, McCarthy’s path to being a reclamation project for another organization could arrive sooner than anyone thought. Stay tuned.
  • MIN Quarterback #11
    Wentz started this game and was on the field for two drives, both of which resulted in punts. J.J. McCarthy missed this game with an ankle issue and was already fighting for the backup job. The missed practice time and recurring injury issues likely have him behind Wentz on the depth chart when Week 1 comes around. The hope for Vikings fans is that Murray is a capable distributor of the football and neither Wentz nor McCarthy sees the field this year.
  • MIN Quarterback #9
    The Vikings hoped that McCarthy’s ankle injury would heal, but ultimately the 23-year-old quarterback isn’t ready to play. The injury is considered minor and McCarthy is day-to-day, according to Lewis. While minor, McCarthy’s injury has cost him valuable reps as he now finds himself battling Carson Wentz for the QB2 job.
  • MIN Quarterback #9
    McCarthy has been limited in practice this week as he deals with a mild deltoid sprain in his ankle. Despite the injury, the Vikings want to maximize the 23-year-old’s preseason reps with Kyler Murray already locked in as the starter. It’s also possible McCarthy competes with Carson Wentz for the No. 2 quarterback spot as both players split second-team reps earlier this week. O’Connell said the team is aiming to have McCarthy ready to start against the Broncos Friday, but also added, “if we can’t get him there, we can’t get him there.” Ultimately, the ankle injury seems minor but may prevent McCarthy from seeing valuable reps as he fights to stay as the QB2 on the Vikings depth chart.
  • MIN Quarterback #9
    McCarthy appeared on four for series, playing on 18 snaps while going 5-for-10 passing for 81 yards. According to KOC, he would have preferred to play McCarthy longer, but the third-year QB “was a little hobbled,” which led to the decision to pull him. O’Connell said he expects McCarthy to be fine and will look to provide an update soon, but given some of the hits he took from the Ravens on Saturday, this news doesn’t come as much of a surprise. McCarthy will get one more look this preseason in next week’s game against the Broncos if he’s able to go.
  • MIN Quarterback #9
    McCarthy’s most impressive play came on a 50-yard strike downfield to Tai Felton. McCarthy threw a good ball to Felton, who went up to make the contested catch and put the Vikings in scoring position, but the drive would stall a few plays later, down inside the Ravens’ five-yard line. McCarthy would sail a throw high to Felton in the end zone on second and goal, and he missed Myles Price in the flat for a would-be touchdown on fourth and goal. McCarthy also faced considerable pressure from the Ravens defense and took one sack on the day. He was pulled after one quarter of play and will presumably draw the start in next week’s preseason finale against the Broncos next Friday.
  • MIN Quarterback #9
    With the Vikings naming Kyler Murray as the starter, McCarthy’s future in Minnesota is in question. The 23-year-old is entering his third season and still has plenty to work on, though losing the Week 1 starting job indicates his chances to start for the Vikings again are dwindling. When asked about his future, McCarthy stated he wants to be in Minnesota and will “continue to just do whatever [he] can for this team and this organization.” The room for error for young quarterbacks is thin in the NFL and though he is saying the right things to the media, McCarthy is a former first-rounder that may want to move on, should he have no future as a starter with the Vikings. He will start the season as the backup while the Vikings evaluate their quarterback room throughout the season; it wouldn’t be a surprise to see McCarthy depart Minnesota between now and this time next year.

Rotoworld

  • NYG Wide Receiver #88
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    Malachi Fields caught 2-of-6 targets for 30 yards in the Giants’ Week 2 loss to the Rams.

    Fields struggled alongside the rest of the Giants in a game played mostly with backup quarterback Jameis Winston under center. Jaxson Dart departed after the team’s first possession with what looked like an MCL sprain based on the mechanism of the injury, something that could force missed contests from the normal starter. That would position Fields in a difficult spot to return usable counting stats in the short term. He gets the struggling Titans in Week 3, where he’ll be best left on fantasy benches.
  • NYG Wide Receiver #17
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    Darnell Mooney caught 2-of-3 targets for 48 yards in the Giants’ Week 2 loss to the Rams.

    Mooney played well behind Malik Nabers and rookie Malachi Fields but was able to cash in on a 33-yard reception to pad his counting stats in the loss. Fantasy managers of Nabers will want to track his status closely in the coming week after the talented youngster briefly departed with a shoulder injury. An absence could thrust Mooney into a near every-down role against the Titans in Week 3.
  • NYG Wide Receiver #1
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    Malik Nabers caught 1-of-4 targets for one yard in the Giants’ Week 2 loss to the Rams.

    Nabers departed the game at the end of the first quarter with a shoulder injury but was able to return after missing only one drive. His putrid box score can largely be attributed to uneven quarterback play from backup Jameis Winston, whom came on in relief of the injured Jaxson Dart after the team’s first possession. Beyond the fact that fantasy managers were left with a near goose egg from their third round selection, Nabers could be forced to contend with backup-level quarterback play in the coming weeks considering the mechanism of Dart’s knee injury. Even so, it will be difficult to sit Nabers in a cake matchup with the Titans in Week 3, making him a classic hold-your-breath start.
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    Isaiah Likely caught 5-of-10 targets for 33 yards in the Giants’ Week 2 loss to the Rams.

    Although fantasy managers are thrilled with the team-leading 10 targets, the nature of those targets is cause for concern considering the uneven play from backup quarterback Jameis Winston. Starter Jaxson Dart was forced from the game with a knee injury on the team’s first possession and it would not be shocking to see him miss games considering the mechanism of his injury, leaving the offense in the hands of the inconsistent Winston. Even so, fantasy managers will be thrilled to start Likely in a plus matchup against the Titans in Week 3, particularly considering the multitude of injuries at the position throughout the league.
  • NYG Running Back #44
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    Cam Skattebo rushed 12 times for 36 yards in the Giants’ Week 2 loss to the Rams, adding 19 yards on four receptions.

    The Giants’ game plan was thrown for a loop when quarterback Jaxson Dart was forced from the game on the team’s first possession and were largely unable to get anything going with Jameis Winston under center. The result was a haphazard scheme thrown together to minimize Winston’s exposure to a relentless Rams defensive front, which drowned the fantasy production of all parties, to include Skattebo. More startling to Skattebo’s fantasy managers was the involvement of Najee Harris in the red zone, who was unable to cash in on two carries from the six on consecutive plays in the second quarter. Skattebo gets a plus matchup against the Titans in Week 3, where he returns to a viable RB2 in fantasy circles.
  • NYG Quarterback #19
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    Jameis Winston completed 11-of-27 passes for 111 yards and an interception in the Giants’ 28-6, Week 2 loss to the Rams, adding one yard on two carries.

    Winston came on in relief of the injured Dart after the team’s first possession but never really got the wheels turning in the defeat. He made numerous errant throws and poor decision, as evidenced by the poor completion rate, while averaging only 4.1 yards per pass attempt. Most egregious was a red zone interception with the team down 14-0 in the second quarter, which occurred on a badly under-thrown ball directed toward alpha receiver Malik Nabers. Safety Javon Holland did his part to almost single-handedly keep the team in the game, picking off Matthew Stafford and then both forcing and recovering a fumble on consecutive possessions following Winston’s interception, acts that would ultimately prove futile considering the offense’s inability to move the football. Winston could be headed for a start in Week 3, pending the status of Dart, and gets a much more forgiving matchup against the Titans. Fantasy managers in a pinch could do worse than starting the veteran W-eater.
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    Terrance Ferguson caught 6-of-9 targets for 54 yards and a touchdown in the Rams’ Week 2 win over the Giants.

    Ferguson entered the fourth quarter with a rather modest receiving line, with two of the incompletions directed towards him resultant of passes that hit him in the hands, with the third a poorly thrown pass from Stafford. He heated up in the final frame, highlighted by a five-yard touchdown reception on a crosser from the slot for his first touchdown of his sophomore campaign. Ferguson’s nine targets were one off the 10 of Davante Adams for the team lead in a game played without top aerial option Puka Nacua. Ferguson appears likely to have more spiked weeks like this in the future, although they could be more difficult to diagnose once Nacua returns and the offense doesn’t play quite as much from 12- and 13-personnel. Ferguson can safely be started as a viable tight end option in Week 3 against the Broncos, particularly considering the multitude of injuries at the position throughout the league.
  • LA Wide Receiver #17
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    Davante Adams caught 8-of-10 targets for 195 yards and two touchdowns in the Rams’ Week 2 win over the Giants.

    Adams seamlessly stepped into the alpha role in the offense in the absence of Puka Nacua, routinely making absurd catches on the perimeter while also showcasing his adept route-running abilities in the open field. His first touchdown came on a deep post route following a double move, during which he strode beyond three defenders. He would cash in again from 11 yards out on a fade to the corner of the end zone. Adams remains a top-tier WR2 with WR1 upside when the Rams take on the Broncos in Week 3.
  • LA Running Back #24
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    Blake Corum rushed 12 times for 79 yards in the Rams’ Week 2 win over the Giants, adding 13 yards on one reception.

    Corum was kept out of the end zone for the second straight game to open the 2026 season but continues to display elite per-touch efficiency. The scoring woes could persist considering the robust red zone role of cohort Kyren Williams, the latter of whom found pay dirt for the second consecutive game to open the season. Corum continues to be a difficult weekly start outside of deeper leagues for as long as he is taken off the field where it matters most to fantasy production, and will remain a borderline FLEX start when the Rams face the Broncos in Week 3.
  • LA Running Back #23
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    Kyren Williams rushed 12 times for 85 yards in the Rams’ Week 2 win over the Giants, adding 12 yards and a touchdown on two receptions.

    Williams has opened the season with touchdowns in consecutive games after hitting pay dirt 15 times or more the previous two seasons. The difference this season is that he’s doing it while Blake Corum has been much more involved in the weekly game plan. Williams continues forward with an elevated weekly floor due to his robust red zone role, albeit with a shakier ceiling than in recent years due to the presence of Corum. He remains a back-end RB2 when the Rams travel to Colorado to face the Bronco in Week 3.