With J.J. McCarthy returning as the Vikings’ starting QB, what happens to the fantasy outlook for WRs Justin Jefferson and Jordan Addison?

The 2025 NFL season has been a wild ride for the Minnesota Vikings wide receivers and the fantasy football managers who roster them. After losing Sam Darnold in favor of J.J. McCarthy at quarterback, the rookie proceeded to play just two games before an injury sidelined him for several weeks. Veteran backup Carson Wentz entered the fold but ultimately suffered a season-ending injury of his own, resetting the quarterback situation in the Land of 1000 Lakes. Now, McCarthy reenters the fold with his ankle fully healed, but what does his presence under center mean for fantasy stars like Justin Jefferson and Jordan Addison?

Analysis

The first two weeks of the J.J. McCarthy era played out in unassuming fashion as the quarterback truly struggled in his first NFL action. While he isn’t a rookie in name, the young signal-caller missed all of last season due to injury and hadn’t logged a single professional start prior to Week 1 of this season. He faced a tough matchup against the Vikings thanks to Minnesota defensive coordinator Brian Flores’ blitz packages and largely played a poor game through three quarters. However, McCarthy posted a massive final frame to complete the comeback and finish with 143 yards and two touchdowns through the air with a 65.0% completion rate, though he tossed an interception. Week 2 against the Falcons saw him complete just 52.4% of throws for 158 yards and two interceptions without a score, not exactly an encouraging sign of progress.

Granted, McCarthy threw just 41 passes through his two appearances so it’s not like there’s a large sample of games, or even passes to base analysis from. However, a 58.5% completion rate, 301 yards and a 2-to-3 TD/INT ratio with nine sacks don’t spark much confidence in his ability to throw the ball. That’s fairly surprising given his pedigree with a national title at the collegiate level and the ability to efficiently manage a game he showed at Michigan. The hope is that offensive guru head coach Kevin O’Connell can scheme up opportunities for his young starter, but the film McCarthy’s put on tape doesn’t bode well for his outlook. His accuracy clearly needs work and it seems the Vikings may look to insulate him with as little passing volume as possible.

That comes as a great disappointment for fantasy football players with Justin Jefferson and Jordan Addison on their rosters. The former averaged just 12.95 FPPG with McCarthy as the starter but posted 16.34 FPPG with Carson Wentz, who peppered him with a handful of additional targets per game. Jefferson was drafted as a WR1 in the early rounds this offseason and currently slots in as the per-game WR13, but the outlook with McCarthy feels depressed with the first-year starter under center. He should see the highest target share among Vikings players, but the quality of quarterback play will be inconsistent at best moving forward. Jefferson profiles more as a mid-range WR2 from here on out with some spike weeks depending on whether he finds the end zone.

As for Addison, the 23-year-old hasn’t yet played with McCarthy since the wide receiver spent the first few weeks of the season suspended. However, he returned in Week 4 and has averaged a career-best 16.0 FPPG since in four games with Wentz. Addison racked up 100+ receiving yards in two of those contests, and in the two he didn’t reach that mark, he hauled in a touchdown. He’s averaged 14.7 yards per reception as a deep threat in this offense, but he’s unlikely to see as many opportunities to make splash plays with McCarthy throwing passes. To top it off, his target volume has been a little shakier anyways with two outings of eight or more looks, but two more games with six or fewer targets. If passing volume decreases, projecting fewer throws in Addison’s direction makes more sense than a drop in looks for Jefferson. With that in mind, he’s likely a better FLEX play for the rest of the season than anything else while McCarthy starts, but don’t expect the consistent upside he’s shown thus far.