Vikings QB J.J. McCarthy not only struggled against the Falcons in Week 2, but now he finds himself dealing with an injury. After throwing for 158 yards, no TDs, and 2 INTs, McCarthy is expected to miss two-to-four weeks with a high ankle sprain.
McCarthy’s absence will pave the way for Carson Wentz to start at quarterback for the Vikings. The 32-year-old Wentz started one game for the Chiefs in 2024.
We'll breakdown the McCarthy injury update at length and discuss what the change means for the Vikings’ offense moving forward for fantasy football, NFL DFS, and PrizePicks real money NFL game.
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J.J. McCarthy Injury: How Long is McCarthy Out For?
McCarthy missed his entire rookie season because of a meniscus tear in his right knee. He was fully healthy heading into this season, but only made it through two games before hitting the shelf again.
McCarthy’s latest injury is expected to keep him out for two-to-four weeks, per ESPN's Adam Schefter.
The Vikings’ next three games are at home against the Bengals, at the Steelers, and at the Browns. They have a bye in Week 6 after back-to-back games overseas, so we might not see McCarthy again until Week 7.
Last season, the Vikings were lucky to have QB Sam Darnold waiting in the wings when McCarthy was injured. He led the team to a 14-3 record and a trip to the playoffs. He cashed in during the offseason, signing with the Seahawks.
The Vikings’ new backup quarterback is veteran Carson Wentz, who is on his sixth team in the last six seasons.
Carson Wentz Fantasy Football Outlook
With playoff positioning locked up, the Chiefs started Wentz in their Week 18 matchup against the Broncos last year. He wasn’t asked to do much, attempting just 17 passes. He finished with 98 passing yards and no touchdowns.
Before that, Wentz had not started a game since 2022 when he was with the Commanders.
Wentz has one of the best wide receivers in the league in Justin Jefferson at his disposal, which certainly helps his fantasy upside. Jefferson only has 7 receptions for 125 yards and 1 TD through two games, but most of his advanced stats are still encouraging, including him being targeted on 54.2% of his routes run.
Complicating things for Wentz is that the Vikings will also be without starting RB Aaron Jones, who was placed on short-term IR with a hamstring injury, though RB Jordan Mason has outplayed him this year, at 4.1 yards per carry.
Jones would have been a reliable check down option for Wentz, given that he caught 51 of his 62 targets last season. Vikings RB Jordan Mason will step into an expanded workload, but he has never caught more than 11 passes in a season.
Despite what Darnold did with McCarthy out last season and coach Kevin O'Connell's reputation as a QB whisperer, it’s difficult to get excited about Wentz in fantasy football.
There are better streaming options out there in most leagues. For example, Falcons QB Michael Penix Jr., Rams QB Matthew Stafford, Colts QB Daniel Jones, and Giants QB Russell Wilson are all still available in at least 60% of Yahoo leagues.
Even Darnold is only rostered in 12% of Yahoo leagues.
Given how long it has been since we have seen Wentz start a meaningful game, it makes sense to avoid him in all but the deepest of formats.
Vikings Offense Fantasy Football Outlook
McCarthy is still an unproven commodity in the NFL, but fantasy managers who rostered Jefferson likely didn’t feel great when they heard the news that Wentz will be under center for at least two games. Here’s what to expect from the Vikings’ offense moving forward.
Justin Jefferson Fantasy Football Outlook
The advanced stats for Jefferson through two weeks are very encouraging. He has accounted for 31.7% of the Vikings’ targets and 40.9% of the team’s air yards. He has an average depth of target of 13.2 yards and has averaged 4.7 yards after the catch.
McCarthy has only played two games in the NFL and he wasn’t all that great in either of them. Don’t panic about Jefferson. He remains an elite wide receiver option in fantasy.
Justin Jefferson Projections vs. Bengals
Here are the projections for Justin Jefferson vs. the Bengals for Week 3, via the PrizePicks NFL real money game.
- 78.5 Receiving Yards
- 0.5 Rush+Rec TDs (Demon)
Jordan Mason Fantasy Football Outlook
On the positive side of things for the Vikings, they have a very capable running back in Mason still on the roster. Through two games, he has turned 24 carries into 98 yards.
He has been difficult to bring down, posting a 75.0% positive run rate and averaging 3.4 yards after contact. The Vikings could focus on their running game with McCarthy out, leaving Mason with plenty of upside.
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Another injury will sideline Vikings QB J.J. McCarthy, preventing the Vikings from continuing to develop their quarterback of the future.
With him out, the well-traveled veteran Wentz will take over the team’s offense. While Wentz isn’t a viable fantasy option, there’s no reason to panic about Jefferson moving forward.
The Bengals vs. Vikings’ game provides one of many opportunities to build your Week 3 NFL Lineup on PrizePicks. Just pick More or Less for at least two NFL player stat projections to build your Lineup on PrizePicks.
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