The Minnesota Vikings made one major fantasy football-relevant move in the draft, and I already wrote about the J.J. McCarthy acquisition in our Round One Instant Reactions piece. So, what you’ll find below is an excerpt from that article, speaking specifically about the J.J. McCarthy addition and his 2024 fantasy football outlook.
FULL 2024 MINNESOTA VIKINGS DRAFT RESULTS
| Rd | Pick | Player | Pos | College |
| 1 | 10 | J.J. McCarthy | QB | Michigan |
| 1 | 17 | Dallas Turner | DE | Alabama |
| 6 | 177 | Walter Rouse | OT | Oklahoma |
| 6 | 203 | Will Reichard | PK | Alabama |
| 7 | 230 | Michael Jurgens | C | Wake Forest |
| 7 | 232 | Levi Drake Rodriguez | DT | Texas A&M-Commerce |
Round 1, Pick 10 Overall: J.J. McCarthy, Quarterback, Michigan (6’3” 219 lbs)
[Note: The following is an excerpt from our Round One Instant Reaction piece.]
Talent:
Jim Harbaugh called McCarthy generational, but I was a 49ers fan long enough to know that Harbaugh gasses literally every player in his uniform. So, I will respectfully disagree. That having been said, Harbaugh held back McCarthy more than anything else, because the system led to McCarthy occasionally throwing the ball in a way that wasn’t a dumpoff or an RPO. McCarthy unloads the ball maybe once per game, and when he does, it’s usually a nice one. He can rip it, though he doesn’t have the deep ball strength to consistently air it out.
McCarthy’s pocket jitters will give him trouble at the NFL level, but he should go in the first round of the draft, to a team that trades up to ensure the fifth year of contract control or a team that has an aging, established quarterback. Unfortunately, his best traits will give him a limited upside for fantasy football, as he likely settles in as a top-fifteen fantasy quarterback who can kiss top-eight, like Derek Carr or Kirk Cousins.
His best traits are getting the ball out on time and with anticipation, two things that Sean McVay would love to have after he sits for a year or two behind Matthew Stafford.
NFL Comparison: Alex Smith or Mobile Jimmy Garoppolo
2024 Opportunity:
The only other quarterbacks on the roster are Sam Darnold and Nick Mullens, making the two 49ers legends the only things standing in the way of J.J. McCarthy. He will likely start week three, at the latest, for the Vikes, and he has an incredible setup around him. The Vikings were third in pass block win rate last season, and McCarthy will step into basically the same role as Kirk Cousins, with Justin Jefferson, Jordan Addison, and T.J. Hockenson (when he returns from injury) at his disposal.
2024 Outlook:
Kirk Cousins, in his best seasons, was a top-eight quarterback in fantasy football. In his worst seasons, he was around QB16 or QB17 most weeks. It’s a very nice setup for Cousins’ successor, who is a mobile Kirk Cousins in a lot of respects. While I don’t want to draft McCarthy in 1QB leagues, he’s a player I am keeping an eye on as the season develops.
