Winner. Competitor. Leader. There’s plenty of words to describe McCarthy, but most of them are centered more around an urban legend or the team’s success rather than on field production. Is he a viable quarterback for our fantasy football teams? Or is J.J. McCarthy another in a long list of dynasty quarterbacks lost to the NFL grind?
J.J. McCarthy Dynasty Outlook – Fantasy Football
The History
Heading into college, McCarthy was a five-star recruit and the number five overall QB in his class according to 24/7. McCarthy’s counting stats in college aren’t anything to get fired up about. The Michigan Wolverines were the first team to hold a lead at halftime of every game in over 20 years. Of course he wasn’t throwing passes, he only threw nine times versus Penn State, and they still won by nine. He never topped 3000 yards in a season (even including the CFB playoffs). He only has one loss as a starter in college, so the wins are a QB stat crowd are hot and bothered by McCarthy. McCarthy’s best attribute has been his ability to make big plays on third and fourth down while also being relatively responsible with the ball. There’s a sortable film lab that lets you see every play by down and distance, and McCarthy sticks out like a unicorn among donkeys in pressure situations (unlike Mac Jones this past season).
The Situation
Accept it now, J.J. McCarthy will be a first-round pick in April. Regardless of which mock draft you check he’s either top 15 or sneaking into the back half of the first round with some QB hungry teams. First round quarterbacks have an exponentially higher hit rate than later round options, so Superflex dynasty managers need to take notice. The top landing spots for him in the 2024 NFL Draft include the Minnesota Vikings, Denver Broncos and Las Vegas Raiders. Of the three of those, the Vikings are clearly the top choice for our dynasty teams. All three have at least serviceable weapons but linking J.J. with Justin Jefferson would feed families.
Watch – Related J.J. McCarthy Film Study
What To Do with in J.J. McCarthy Dynasty
There’s lots of folks that think the tier break in the 2024 rookie class is at the 1.07. Spoiler alert, it’s at the 1.08. McCarthy’s plenty talented and has the tools to succeed at the next level. Coaching is going to matter immensely for Mccarthy’s long term development. He’s one of the youngest QB prospects in this class and has only attempted 700 passes in college (way more than Richardson did last year, way less than Williams does in this class. I will be taking him comfortably at the 1.08 slot in all of my rookie drafts, and will even consider putting him over Rome Odunze and Brock Bowers depending on the tight end premium and landing spot for both. Draft McCarthy at cost all summer, and even sprinkle him into some of your best ball teams if that excites you.
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