Breakouts: JJ McCarthy - MIN

If you had a quarterback throw for over 4,300 yards, 35 touchdowns, and only 12 interceptions, would you let them walk in free agency?

A majority of the time, probably not.

But that’s exactly what Kevin O’Connell and the Minnesota Vikings did with Sam Darnold—because they knew JJ McCarthy would be ready this year.

Even though I’m a Lions fan, I can give props to Kevin O’Connell. This guy knows what he’s doing when it comes to coaching quarterbacks. He comes from the Sean McVay tree of coaching, so offensively, he absolutely knows what he's doing.

Take a look at these numbers:

Since Kevin O’Connell became the head coach in Minnesota in 2022:

• Kirk Cousins threw for over 4,500 yards, had a 65% completion percentage, 29 touchdowns to 14 interceptions, and finished as the QB7 in fantasy that year.

• In 2023, Cousins looked prime for an even bigger season. Unfortunately, it was cut short after only eight games due to an Achilles injury. But during that time, he threw for over 2,300 yards, completed almost 70% of his passes with 18 touchdowns to 5 interceptions, and through eight weeks, he was the QB6.

  
  

But O’Connell’s best work might’ve come this past season with Sam Darnold, the former No. 3 overall pick cast away by the Jets. Darnold finished as the QB9 in fantasy last season.

So, under O’Connell, quarterbacks are averaging 17.8 fantasy points per game, which projects to 302.4 points over a full 17-game season. Last year, that would’ve been good enough for the QB11 finish.

Now, maybe there’s a little bias here—I watched JJ McCarthy’s entire career at Michigan. And being a Michigan fan, I saw it up close. JJ never really got the respect he deserved because Michigan was a run-first team. People thought JJ was just handing the ball off. But if you go back and actually watch

• In his sophomore season on the road against a top-ranked Ohio State team, he threw for 263 yards, 3 touchdowns, and 0 interceptions.

• In his junior year, during the Rose Bowl against Alabama in the College Football Playoff, he threw for 221 yards and 3 touchdowns, including a game-tying touchdown drive in the final moments with some clutch passes.

  
  

If we’re giving Kevin O’Connell credit for being a quarterback whisperer, then spending the pick they did on JJ McCarthy shows he believes in him—enough to let Sam Darnold walk and hand over the reins.

McCarthy missed most of last season recovering from knee surgery, but he should now be 100% healthy and ready to go.

He also has one of the best supporting casts in the NFL:

• Justin Jefferson, a top-tier WR1

• Jordan Addison, a promising WR2

• T.J. Hockenson, a reliable tight end

• Aaron Jones and Jordan Mason in the backfield

  
  

This offense is stacked, and Minnesota’s offensive line has improved—especially in the interior thanks to offseason additions in free agency.

And here’s something people forget about JJ McCarthy: his legs.

He rushed for 632 yards on 161 attempts and scored 10 rushing touchdowns while at Michigan. He’s not just a pocket passer—he can escape pressure, take hits, and pick up yards on the ground when needed. If Minnesota uses him in designed runs or rollouts, that mobility gives him an extra layer of upside in fantasy.

I can’t list JJ McCarthy as a “sleeper” this season—he’s starting in Minnesota and surrounded by elite weapons. So I’ll say it: he’s a breakout candidate.

It’s hard to imagine he won’t find success, especially considering what O’Connell has gotten out of other quarterbacks. And if you’re in a 2QB or Superflex league, JJ McCarthy has massive upside as your QB2. Even if there are some rookie growing pains, he’s still worth the shot.

In 1QB leagues, maybe he starts on your bench, but he has QB1 upside. Among all quarterbacks currently ranked outside the top 12, JJ McCarthy has one of the highest ceilings for how late he’s going in drafts.