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    Vikings trade J.J. McCarthy to Giants

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    NYG Quarterback #9
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    Giants acquired QB J.J. McCarthy from the Vikings in exchange for a 2027 fifth-round pick.

    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.
Vikings have 'issues' with Murray and the offense
Chris Simms and Connor Rogers break down the Vikings' offensive struggles with Kyler Murray, questioning what the team can do to turn things around and if they will pursue trading for a quarterback.

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  • NYG Quarterback #6
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    In other words, it wasn’t exactly an endorsement that Jaxson Dart is the franchise quarterback. Dart, out for the year with a meniscus repair, will enter the third year of his rookie contract as the likely favorite to start assuming Nine hasn’t just blossomed into a great quarterback overnight. But it sounds like the Giants are at least open to the idea that McCarthy could alter the calculus here.
  • NYG Quarterback #19
    He became New York’s short-yardage tush-push option with J.J. McCarthy starting, managing a touchdown in the first half and a fourth-down conversion in the second half. That makes him more of a thorn in McCarthy’s side than anything else for fantasy purposes.
  • NYG Quarterback #18
    Nine threatened a really good box score, crossing 200 yards by the third quarter, but both the Texans (playing more aggressive coverage) and the Giants (using Jameis Winston in short-yardage situations) conspired to keep McCarthy scoreless. Still, it was a nice debut start. McCarthy took three sacks but had zero turnovers while managing a handful of nice throws. The Giants head on bye in Week 8, but McCarthy has played like he could be a reasonable superflex QB2 against the Eagles in a few weeks.
  • NYG Quarterback #18
    The Giants pivoted to “NINE” after he lit up the Saints for 243 yards in the fourth quarter of Week 6. Having already spent some draft capital to acquire McCarthy, the team is going to give him an extended tryout as the starter. If he does well, the Giants will likely hang on to him as Jaxson Dart’s backup next year. They could also trade him in the offseason if he plays well to garner interest from other teams.
  • NYG Quarterback #18
    According to Hughes, “this is the player they targeted and wanted” as their quarterback the minute Jaxson Dart (knee) got hurt. Hughes acknowledges that coach John Harbaugh could eventually bench McCarthy later in the year, but it will take more than a bad “game or two” for that to happen. In the meantime, the weekly fantasy football outlooks for Malik Nabers and Isaiah Likely are more volatile than they were with Jameis Winston at the helm. Selling high could make sense. Hughes adds that McCarthy would have to play like a top-10 quarterback to make the coaching staff consider him for the starting role next season. That outcome seems highly unlikely.
  • NYG Quarterback #18
    John Harbaugh is making the switch after a historic fourth quarter from “NINE”. McCarthy threw for 243 yards and a score in 11 minutes of action as the Giants mounted a frantic comeback against the Saints. Though he came up short in the end, McCarthy gave the Giants’ offense life after three dreadful quarters from James Winston. Now he’ll get the first snap versus a Houston defense that has been surprisingly ineffective this year. McCarthy is a high-risk QB2 for his first start as a Giant. He should at least be added in all Superflex formats.
  • NYG Quarterback #18
    The fact that he has to think about it probably tips the hand that it will be J.J. McCarthy sooner or later — if not outright now. Jameis Winston was replaced by McCarthy in the fourth quarter yesterday and McCarthy showcased his deep arm and almost erased a large deficit by throwing for 243 yards on 21 attempts. If McCarthy did start against the Texans, he would likely be a bottom five superflex option on the Week 7 slate because of his established history as a starter.
  • NYG Quarterback #18
    It’s the exact kind of answer we would expect from a coach who is just minutes removed from his team nearly completing a comeback victory. J.J. McCarthy stepped in for Jameis Winston in the fourth quarter and lit up the Saints for 243 yards and one touchdown in the fourth quarter, leading the Giants on three scoring drives and 17 unanswered points in a game that the Saints won 34-27. Whether it’s in Week 7 or a point later in the season, McCarthy feels like a lock to start multiple games for the Giants, who now sit at 3-2-1 on the season. The Jameis Winston Experience, while fun, is often short-lived, and his underwhelming performance on Sunday against the Saints (152-1-2) comes a week after Winston struggled for the entire first half against the Commanders before he turned it on in the second half. Harbaugh will likely announce his Week 7 starter in the coming days, but it wouldn’t be surprising to learn the team is handing McCarthy the keys for the remainder of the season.
  • NYG Quarterback #18
    McCarthy’s first play of the game was a read-option where he kept the ball and rushed for a loss of two yards in the red zone. With the Giants down 24 points in the fourth quarter, McCarthy replaced a struggling Jameis Winston and started throwing several deep targets downfield. He threw an interception his first drive but led multiple successful drives late in the fourth quarter. Charlie Jones corralled a 49-yard pass away from a defender, making a near-interception into a long completion for McCarthy. Martin Emerson dropped an interception later in the drive before McCarthy connected with Isaiah Likely for a touchdown. He wound up leading the Giants in passing and rushing through just one quarter of play. Averaging 11.6 yards per attempt, McCarthy was one play away from leading a comeback against the Saints. Instead, we will wait to see if John Harbaugh will name the 23-year-old the starter for Week 7 against the Texans; he would be a fantasy QB2 if he starts.
  • NYG Quarterback #19
    Winston led a struggling offense in Week 6, scoring one touchdown in the first half. Winston’s offense did all of its scoring in the first half and possessed the ball in a very limited fashion in the second half. He averaged 5.8 yards per attempt and threw a pair of interceptions in the second half in an otherwise lackadaisical offensive day. Winston was replaced by J.J. McCarthy in the fourth quarter; the Giants scored 17 points under McCarthy. Winston remains a volatile fantasy QB2, though it is a very real possibility that he is not the starter for Week 7 against the Texans.

Rotoworld

  • DET Linebacker #46
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    Lions head coach Dan Campbell said the team has received “positive” news on Jack Campbell after he suffered a neck injury in Week 8’s win over the Vikings.

    The team has opted to not disclose any further details of Campbell’s injury, but this is obviously good news for the fourth-year linebacker. Campbell suffered a scary neck injury in the fourth quarter of Sunday’s win and was eventually carted from the field after being down on the ground for several minutes. While the early reports are encouraging, it’s possible Campbell avoided the worst-case scenario but could still face a months-long journey back to the field. We will be sure to provide any updates as they come our way.
  • NYG Running Back #44
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    Cam Skattebo (hamstring) was seen working with trainers on Monday.

    The Giants won’t release their first injury report for the week until Wednesday, but in the team’s first practice after its bye week, Skattebo was seen working off to the side with trainers. Skattebo injured his hamstring late on a 42-yard run in overtime in Week 7’s win over the Texans, but said he expected to be okay after the bye. While that may still be the case, fantasy managers will want to check his practice status throughout the week to see if he’s at risk of missing Week 9’s game against the Eagles.
  • BAL Quarterback #8
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    NFL Network’s Ian Rapoport said Lamar Jackson is “likely out for the season” after suffering a thumb injury in Week 8’s loss to the Bills.

    Head coach Jesse Minter didn’t dismiss the possibility of this being a season-ending injury for Jackson when asked about it after the game, but the optics on the field weren’t good, and the team wasted little time announcing he would undergo surgery and be placed on injured reserve. It wouldn’t be at all surprising to learn in the days ahead that Jackson’s season is over, but the team will likely wait until after he has his surgery to make any formal announcement. With Jackson and Tyler Huntley (toe) both being sidelined, rookie UDFA Joe Fagnano is slated to start on the short week on Thursday against the Jaguars.
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    Vikings head coach Kevin O’Connell said Kyler Murray is dealing with a sore hamstring and will undergo further evaluation.

    Murray appeared to be slowed a bit by an injury in Week 8’s loss to the Lions, so this news isn’t all too surprising. O’Connell said Murray will go “through a full eval” of everything to determine the severity of his injury, but didn’t suggest this will cost Murray any time as the Vikings prepare to face the Bills next Monday night. That said, we know how these types of injuries can linger and lead to some missed time, so we won’t jump to assume Murray is in the clear for Week 9. In the event he can’t go, Carson Wentz would be in line to draw the start against Buffalo.
  • SF Wide Receiver #11
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    NFL insider Jordan Schultz reports free agent WR Brandon Aiyuk “is close to hiring new representatives in an effort to get back to the NFL and on a team.”

    An entire offseason spent creating goofy Instagram videos in hopes of willing himself onto the Commanders’ roster didn’t go as Aiyuk had hoped. Instead, the 28-year-old receiver, who last played a snap in 2024, remains under contract with the 49ers after failing to apply for reinstatement, which remains the first step he would need to take if he hopes to be made available to other teams. The 49ers put a “left squad designation” on Aiyuk back in July, meaning while he remains under contract with the team, he does not count against the team’s 53-man roster. It seems unlikely he will remain with the Niners if/when he applies for reinstatement, meaning the team will either have to release him or find a trade suitor for him before this month’s deadline. It would be surprising if Aiyuk played a snap for any team in 2026.
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    Packers head coach Matt LaFleur said he expects Josh Jacobs to remain on the roster while the league investigates multiple allegations of domestic violence against him.

    This doesn’t come as much of a surprise, given that NFL Network’s Ian Rapoport reported on Sunday that Jacobs is “going to continue to play” while the league reviews this latest round of allegations. The league is not only reviewing these latest allegations, but is also looking into whether or not Jacobs was “upfront” with them about the initial allegations that led to him being placed on the Commissioner’s Exempt list. Barring an unexpected development this week, we would expect Jacobs to be on the field against the Patriots this week.
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    Packers head coach Matt LaFleur said he expects Micah Parsons (knee) to practice this week.

    Parsons is not expected to suit up in Week 9 against the Patriots, but this is the next step in his recovery as he looks to return to the field. On Sunday, it was reported that the Packers were targeting a Week 12 return for Parsons, which would mean he plays on Thanksgiving Eve against the Rams if all goes according to plan.
  • IND Quarterback #17
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    Colts head coach Shane Steichen said Daniel Jones will start in Week 9 against the Cowboys.

    After taking some time to evaluate his quarterback room, Steichen has decided to stick with Jones, saying he believes Jones gives the Colts “the best chance to win right now.” Jones has struggled mightily in his second season with the Colts and is now sitting on a 1,542-5-9 passing line this season, and he tossed two picks in Week 8’s 42-7 blowout loss to the Jaguars. He was pulled in favor of Anthony Richardson late in the game, but he will get at least one more start against a woeful Cowboys defense that is fresh off blowing a 14-point fourth-quarter lead to the Cardinals in a comeback that was orchestrated by Gardner Minshew. With only two teams on bye this week, Jones is nothing more than a desperation streamer in 2QB/superflex leagues.
  • CAR Running Back #25
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    Panthers head coach Dave Canales said the team is weighing whether or not to open Jonathon Brooks (core) return window this week

    Canales said the oft-injured Brooks still has “some things to clear recovery-wise” but noted that he could still have his practice window opened this week. Brooks suffered a core muscle injury in Week 2 against the Falcons and handled just 11 touches in his first two games of the year. Given his injury history, it’s hard to know how close he could truly be to dressing on game day, but even when he does return, we would still expect Chuba Hubbard to handle the majority of touches given how efficient he has been this season. In addition to Brooks, Canales said the team is also weighing when to open the return window for Xavier Legette, who has been sidelined since Week 2 with a knee injury.
  • PIT Wide Receiver #11
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    Michael Pittman Jr. (foot) said he hopes to return after the Steelers’ Week 9 bye week.

    Pittman has been on injured reserve since October 10th, and began running last week. While the veteran receiver said he hopes to return after the Steelers’ bye week, he also said that there’s “no time frame” for his return. Pittman’s foot injury was a reaggravation of a previous injury he had earlier in the season, so it wouldn’t be surprising if the Steelers exercised extreme caution to ensure it doesn’t flare up again when he returns. Pittman’s first season in Pittsburgh has been disappointing, to say the least. He has appeared in just three games and has totaled seven receptions for 89 scoreless yards.