J.J. McCarthy fantasy football outlook for 2024: Is Vikings QB a safe pick this year?

J.J. McCarthy was selected by the Minnesota Vikings in the first round of the 2024 NFL draft to replace Kirk Cousins. The franchise made the shocking decision to move on from the veteran quarterback during the offseason to shift the direction of their future. This is highlighted by their selection of McCarthy, who enters a relatively favorable situation with his new team.

Rookies can be risky picks in fantasy football drafts because their role with their team, as well as how their skillset will translate to the NFL, is somewhat unknown. McCarthy qualifies for this situation, so here's where his fantasy football outlook stands this year.

Breaking down J.J. McCarthy's fantasy football outlook for 2024

J.J. McCarthy (GETTY)

J.J. McCarthy entered the 2024 NFL draft as one of the most polarizing quarterback prospects in this year's class. He was a proven winner during his college football career, including two Big Ten Conference championships and a National Championship in his final season. The issue is that his statistics don't exactly jump off the page as a quarterback in a run-first offense.

In two seasons as the starting quarterback for the Michigan Wolverines, McCarthy never exceeded 3,000 passing yards and never reached 25 passing touchdowns. He demonstrated some rich upside with 508 yards and eight touchdowns, but the offense was mostly focused on their running backs. Despite all of this, the Minnesota Vikings selected him to be their future quarterback.

It's unclear if McCarthy will serve as the Week 1 starter but it can be assumed that he will take over the job at some point during the 2024 season. He will be in one of the most ideal situations of any rookie quarterback this year due to the elite weapons around him. Justin Jefferson and TJ Hockenson headline the group and can significantly increase the rookie's fantasy value this year.

Where should you draft J.J. McCarthy this year?

In traditional season-long leagues, J.J. McCarthy makes sense as a QB2 in most formats due to the strong offense surrounding him in his rookie year. In dynasty fantasy football leagues, he holds even more value than rookies often do. He could be a mid-round target in dynasty drafts as opposed to a late-round flier in traditional leagues.

Managers debating selecting McCarthy in their fantasy drafts should reference Sportskeeda's Who Should I Draft tool. This will allow them to compare his fantasy projections to other relevant options when it's their turn to make their pick in the draft.