The Minnesota Vikings announced that J.J. McCarthy's NFL debut will be put on hold until 2025. In a saga that began with McCarthy dealing with "knee soreness", he will now miss the entirety of the 2024 season after he required a full meniscus repair. This is less than deal for the Vikings, who spent the 10th overall pick on the former Michigan Wolverine.
With McCarthy now out of the picture, Sam Darnold steps in as the Vikings' de facto QB1. Darnold had been atop the depth chart throughout the offseason, but many expected McCarthy to take over at some point this year. But with Darnold now in line for 17 starts, how will this impact the Vikings pass catchers from a fantasy perspective?
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The short answer is that there will be little impact. First off, there was no guarantee that McCarthy was a significant step up from Darnold. McCarthy made some solid throws during his preseason debut, but he was still an unproven rookie. Most importantly, Vikings' head coach Kevin O'Connell deploys a quarterback-friendly scheme that is capable of making just about any quarterback look good. Fans were treated to three games of 300-plus passing yards from Nick Mullens thanks to O'Connell's scheme.
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Justin Jefferson Fantasy Football Outlook 2024
Justin Jefferson is currently drafted as the WR4 in the middle of Round 1, according to FantasyPros Consensus ADP. This is a price that should not budge following McCarthy's injury. Continue drafting Jefferson as an elite receiver without hesitation
Kirk Cousins' presence in Minnesota played a big role in Jefferson's ascension, but Jefferson proved that he is essentially "quarterback proof" after last season. After Cousins' season ended early, Jefferson continued to dominate. In five games without Cousins, he posted at least 140 receiving yards twice, clearing 25 PPR points in both games.
While the news regarding McCarthy is disappointing for Vikings fans, fantasy managers should be unfazed by this news when it comes to Jefferson.
MORE: NFL Preseason injury tracker | RB depth charts
Jordan Addison Fantasy Football Outlook 2024
Much like Jefferson, Jordan Addison's fantasy outlook doesn't drastically change due to McCarthy's absence. Regardless of who won the quarterback in Minnesota, Addison's fantasy value would have been in jeopardy following the departure of Cousins.
Addison's fantasy value was primarily driven by his ability to connect on deep passes and create explosive plays. He finished his rookie campaign with five touchdowns that were at least 37 yards in length. These five plays accounted for 26 percent of his fantasy production last year. Addison was largely able to convert these splash plays thanks to Cousins' deep ball accuracy. The move to either McCarthy or Darnold would be cause for concern.
Addison's value is also subject to change due to a DUI charge that may lead to a suspension. The potential for suspension and the general lack of Cousins should be at the top of drafters' minds, not the McCarthy injury. He is currently drafted as the WR40 and should not see a dramatic shift in ADP.
T.J. Hockenson Fantasy Football Outlook 2024
T.J. Hockenson is another Minnesota Viking whose fantasy outlook is driven by larger factors outside of McCarthy's injury. Hockenson is recovering from a torn ACL and MCL suffered on Christmas Eve of last year. His ability to recover from this injury is far more significant than Minnesota's quarterback situation.
There is no concrete date for Hockenson's return, but typical recovery timelines for this injury indicate that he will not be ready until mid-season. Hockenson is currently drafted as the TE13 according to FantasyPros. While McCarthy's injury should not impact his outlook, this seems a bit bullish to begin with considering he will likely miss a large chunk of the season.
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Aaron Jones Fantasy Football Outlook 2024
Speaking of injuries, Aaron Jones is an oft-injured running back who will be 30 by the end of the season. He appeared in just 11 games in 2023 and has only played a full season twice in his career.
When Jones was on the field, he still looked good. He proved that he can still be an effective rusher while providing some burst and explosivity as a pass catcher. There is no doubt that Darnold will be able to effectively hand the ball off and throw swing passes to Jones.
Jones' fantasy value revolves around his own health. At this point in time, drafters are still willing to select Jones with legitimate draft capital. He is drafted as the RB18 as of now. Just like the Vikings' pass catchers, we should not see a swing in Jones' price following this news.
