J.J.McCarthy

News: 2 days agoThe Giants acquired McCarthy from the Vikings on Monday in exchange for a 2027 fifth-round pick, Tom Pelissero of Netflix reports.

Spin: The No. 10 overall pick in the 2024 NFL Draft, McCarthy had fallen out of favor in Minnesota and had dropped behind both Kyler Murray and Carson Wentz on the depth chart. The 23-year-old will get a fresh opportunity in New York, where he should at least settle in as the No. 2 quarterback behind Jameis Winston while Jaxson Dart (knee) is likely out for the season. Though Winston led the Giants to a 12-7 win over the Titans in his first start this past Sunday, he's completed just 25 of 49 pass attempts for 229 yards (4.7 YPA) while playing nearly two full games. Another underwhelming performance or two from Winston could compel the Giants to give McCarthy a look in the starting role once he has time to get up to speed with the new playbook.

ESPN Fantasy Projection: McCarthy's career is off to a slow start after the 2024 first-round pick missed his entire rookie season because of an injury then struggled through 2025. McCarthy appeared in 10 games and totaled 11 passing TDs and 12 interceptions while completing an ugly 58% of his passes. McCarthy added some value with his legs (including four TDs), but his production was extremely inconsistent (18-plus fantasy points in four games, but 6.7 per game in his other six outings). The 23-year-old still has plenty of time to develop, but that will come as a backup to Kyler Murray this season. McCarthy is worth considering only in dynasty leagues.