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    Report: J.J. McCarthy (ankle) won’t play Friday

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    MIN Quarterback #9
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    Vikings QB J.J. McCarthy (ankle) won’t play in preseason Week 3 against the Broncos, reports Alec Lewis of the Athletic.

    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.
Who is most to blame for Commanders' mistake?
Mike Florio and Chris Simms debate who is most to blame for the Washington Commanders major mistake in a tie with the New York Giants.

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    This is the second-straight week that Singletary has been made a healthy scratch for the Giants. Najee Harris and Tyrone Tracy will serve as the backups to Cam Skattebo. It’s also worth noting that QB J.J. McCarthy, who was acquired from the Vikings earlier this week, is active for Week 4.
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    Everyone but Harbaugh knew Dart wasn’t returning for the playoffs the moment his meniscus repair procedure was announced. Harbaugh, meanwhile, held out hope that his starting quarterback could return in time for a deep playoff run. Even he isn’t keeping that facade up anymore, though he noted that Dart’s surgery “went well.” Coming off an ugly win, Jameis Winston will make his second start of the year in Week 4. J.J. McCarthy will get a crack at the job when the Giants inevitably start losing.
  • NYG Quarterback
    New York acquired McCarthy from the Vikings on Monday in exchange for a 2027 fifth round draft pick. Hughes spoke with NFL sources who said “the Giants do not give up a fifth-round pick unless they plan to play McCarthy in the near future.” Head coach John Harbaugh and the team’s coaching staff, per Hughes, see McCarthy as a starting-caliber quarterback despite his immense struggles in Minnesota last season. “The Giants welcomed the chance to add a player they view as a competitor, gritty, mobile, and who has all the tools to be a plus passer in the NFL,” Hughes said. With Jameis Winston playing worse than any QB in recent memory, McCarthy could be just a couple weeks away from taking over as New York’s starter. He would be a mild upgrade for Malik Nabers and the rest of the Giants pass catchers.
  • NYG Quarterback #9
    The Ringer’s Tom Pelissero was the first to report the trade. McCarthy landing with John Harbaugh’s Giants feels a bit too on-the-nose given his connection with Jim Harbaugh during his days at Michigan. McCarthy was at one point competing for the Vikings’ QB1 job in camp with Kyler Murray, but was knocked all the way down to QB3 on the Vikings’ depth chart when Carson Wentz took over for Murray in Week 1 and drew the start in Week 2. Assuming Jameis Winston doesn’t suddenly exceed expectations and lead an efficient passing attack, McCarthy will probably get a shot to start at some point when he gets up to speed with the offense. McCarthy has thrown for 1,632 yards, 11 touchdowns, and 12 interceptions in 10 career games while completing 57.6 percent of his passes. We’ll see if a change of scenery is all he needs to turn the corner and live up to the hype that made him the 10th overall pick in the 2024 NFL Draft.
  • MIN Quarterback #9
    If you have ever thrown a football, get an agent and have them contact the New York Giants. McCarthy and Fields join a list that, per previous reports, already included Gardner Minshew, Mac Jones, and Jimmy Garoppolo. Schefter also named Brandon Allen, who was on the Giants’ roster during training camp, as an option. Jameis Winston will get the start in Week 3, but the journeyman passer looked downright awful in relief of Jaxson Dart last week. The team will be forced to make a move at quarterback if he struggles versus the Titans today. McCarthy would be a true Hail Mary for the G-Men, but he does have a strong tie to the Harbaugh brothers via his time at Michigan.
  • MIN Quarterback #11
    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.

Rotoworld

  • PIT Wide Receiver #14
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    ESPN’s Jeremy Fowler reports Steelers WR Roman Wilson is expected to miss a “couple of weeks” after suffering a finger injury in Week 5 against the Colts.

    According to Fowler, Wilson is seeking a second opinion on his injury. He was initially diagnosed with a dislocated finger, but given today’s report, it sounds like this may be more severe than initially expected. Wilson entered Week 5 with back-to-back 60-plus-yard games and had been targeted six times in each of his first four games. Rookie Germie Bernard, who caught 6-of-9 targets for 80 yards in Week 5’s win over the Colts, will be worth a claim on waivers this week and profiles as a WR4/FLEX option in PPR leagues for Week 6 against the Buccaneers.
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    Michael Penix (ribs) said he doesn’t believe his injury will be a long-term issue.

    Penix will undergo an MRI on Monday to confirm the severity of his injury, but it doesn’t sound like he’s at risk of missing much time. Penix exited in the fourth quarter of Sunday night’s game against the Ravens and was forced to stay on the sideline in overtime to watch Tua Tagovailoa throw the game-losing interception shortly after the Ravens scored the go-ahead touchdown. Penix threw for 240 yards and a touchdown and has been solid in his three games since returning from injury. If he’s not able to start in Week 6, Tagovailoa would presumably draw the start at home against the Bears.
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    Mark Andrews caught 4-of-6 targets for 28 yards in the Ravens’ Week 5 win over the Falcons.

    Andrews dropped a would-be touchdown on the team’s opening possession on a ball that went through his hands in the end zone. He would then fumble on the following possession, which Jessie Bates returned for a touchdown to force the Ravens into catch-up mode for the remainder of the game. Luckily for him, late heroics from Tyler Huntley and Derrick Henry had the team escaping with a victory. Andrews has not looked great to start the 2026 season, having not eclipsed 50 yards through five games. He’ll remain a shaky fantasy start in Week 6 when the Ravens host the Browns.
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    Zay Flowers caught 8-of-9 targets for 53 yards in the Ravens’ Week 5 win over the Falcons, adding 13 yards on one carry.

    Flowers was largely confined to short area work with Tyler Huntley under center and also saw a 26-yard reception erased from his ledger due to a 29-yard pass interference penalty on the play. It was a weird situation in which the penalty yardage was greater than his reception. Fantasy managers might be forced to continue waiting on the return of Lamar Jackson after it was reported this week that the All Pro starter could be forced to miss another week. Flowers is a locked-in WR2 against the Browns in Week 6 with Huntley under center and an elite WR1 should Jackson return.
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    Rashod Bateman caught 5-of-6 targets for 62 yards in the Ravens’ Week 5 win over the Falcons.

    Bateman had a relatively quiet game until notching 38 yards on three receptions on the team’s final possession of regulation, helping to spur an improbable comeback victory in overtime. The team took the ball with just over two minutes remaining down by eight, eventually driving the field and tacking on a two-point conversion to send the game to extra time. Bateman remains a shaky FLEX option for as long as Zay Flowers remains healthy, which doesn’t change ahead of a Week 6 meeting with the Browns.
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    Derrick Henry rushed 24 times for 102 yards in the Ravens’ Week 5 win over the Falcons, adding 18 yards and a touchdown on one reception.

    Henry also tacked on a successful two-point conversion to further pad his counting stats. The King erupted for 59 yards in the first half before being largely held in check for the final two quarters with the Ravens playing from behind. He would watch from the sidelines for the duration of the team’s final possession in the two-minute drill but came on the field to tie the game with a two-point conversion on a direct snap. The Falcons were no match for Henry in the extra frame, with the bruising back tacking on an additional 32 yards on the ground on the team’s lone overtime possession. Henry continues to turn back the clock while notching his eighth touchdown in five appearances, having scored in every game to start the season. He remains an elite RB1 ahead of a Week 6 meeting with the Browns.
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    Tyler Huntley completed 24-of-32 passes for 201 yards and two touchdowns in the Ravens’ 30-23, Week 5 win over the Falcons, adding 20 yards and a touchdown on six carries.

    Huntley was in command of the offense throughout, showing poise and pocket presence in the face of one of the most stout defensive fronts in the league. The Ravens marched the field on the opening possession but a dropped touchdown from tight end Mark Andrews forced them to settle for a field goal. Their next possession resulted in a Mark Andrews fumble that was returned for a touchdown, forcing the Ravens to play from behind for the remainder of the game. Down by eight with just over two minutes remaining in the fourth quarter, Huntley took the ball and led the team to a touchdown and successful two-point conversion to force overtime. He would then lead an opening possession touchdown drive in the extra frame, with the team escaping with an unlikely comeback victory on a game-sealing interception. Huntley could be tasked with another start in Week 6 against the Browns after late-week reports indicated that Lamar Jackson could be headed for another absence. Huntley will be a middling QB2, should he start.
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    Kyle Pitts caught 5-of-6 targets for 42 yards and a touchdown in the Falcons’ Week 5 loss to the Ravens.

    Pitts remained largely confined to short area work with his game-long reception going for only 13 yards. A second quarter touchdown from five yards out gave the veteran tight end his first trip to paint through five games and his five receptions doubled that of his previous four appearances. Pitts remains a difficult weekly start for as long as Drake London and Bijan Robinson remain healthy, which doesn’t change ahead of a Week 6 meeting with the Bears in Atlanta.
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    Jahan Dotson caught 2-of-4 targets for 54 yards in the Falcons’ Week 5 loss to the Ravens.

    Dotson’s 54 yards finished second on the team behind alpha Drake London but his four targets finished behind London, Kyle Pitts, and Bijan Robinson. His status as the starting wide receiver opposite London likely means little in the wake of modest volume games that continue to stack up. He can safely be left on, or returned to, the waiver wire.
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    Drake London caught 7-of-11 targets for 118 yards in the Falcons’ Week 5 loss to the Ravens.

    London started slow along with the rest of an Atlanta offense that gained just 37 total yards on their first three possessions before a 78-yard scoring drive to end the half. He would add six receptions after the break to push his season average to 127 yards per game in games started by Michael Penix. Penix departed late in the fourth quarter with a ribs injury, suddenly making London’s fantasy managers skittish after the veteran receiver managed a meager 80 total yards in two games without Penix to begin the season. Fantasy managers will want to monitor Atlanta’s starting quarterback’s status in the coming days ahead of a Week 6 meeting with the Bears, where London will be a WR1 with Penix or an upside WR3 in his absence.