J.J. McCarthy vs Josh Allen: Who Should You Start?
Josh Allen and J.J. McCarthy are at different tiers heading into 2026. The Buffalo Bills quarterback averaged 22.0 PPG in 2025, a full 8.3 points per game ahead of J.J. McCarthy's 13.7 with the Minnesota Vikings. That kind of gap doesn't close on matchup alone.
That 8.3-point weekly advantage for Josh Allen is meaningful but not automatic. Fantasy football is a week-to-week sport, and the answer to "who should I start" often changes based on opponent, recent form, and game environment. Season averages set the baseline; weekly context makes the call.
Josh Allen offers meaningful rushing upside with 579 yards on the ground in 2025, which separates his floor from a pocket passer like J.J. McCarthy (1632 passing yards, 11 touchdowns). In games where the passing matchup looks ugly, that rushing production can be the entire difference on a start/sit call.
J.J. McCarthy has his bye in Week 6, and Josh Allen rests in Week 12. Managers rostering both need waiver wire depth at quarterback for those two weeks, and that is exactly the kind of planning DraftCall's matchup engine surfaces automatically so you are not scrambling on a Sunday morning.
