Giants QB J.J. McCarthy completed 23 of 36 passes (64%) for 293 yards (8.1 YPA), 1 TD, and 1 INT in Thursday night’s loss to the Commanders. He added 34 rushing yards on 6 carries. There was more good than bad from McCarthy in this one. McCarthy showed his athleticism throughout the night, breaking the pocket to make plays with his legs and arm. That included a heady play to find an open Cam Skattebo for a 34-yard catch-and-run just before crossing the line of scrimmage. McCarthy’s best throw of the night was a missile over the middle of the field, splitting two defenders before finding TE Isaiah Likely for a 66-yard TD to give the Giants a short-lived lead in the fourth quarter. The bad: McCarthy continued to stare down receivers and often lock onto his first read. That resulted in a few near INTs. McCarthy’s lone actual INT of the night was a deep 50/50 ball that WR Malik Nabers lost to CB Rasul Douglas.
2026 Fantasy Football Impact: McCarthy Becoming a Viable Superflex Starter
McCarthy has played better than expected through a little more than three games with the Giants. He’s completed 63.5% of his passes at 8.8 yards per attempt with 2 TDs and 2 INTs. He’s also averaged 6.4 yards across 13 carries.
McCarthy ranked 23rd and 26th among QBs in fantasy points in his first two starts, failing to record a TD in either. He’ll finish significantly higher with his 17.1-point Week 10 outing.
We’re not ready to trust McCarthy in 1-QB lineups just yet, but he looks like a useful QB2 going forward. He’s throwing it well, has a pair of high-end weapons in Likely and WR Malik Nabers, and is adding production with his legs.
The Giants’ remaining schedule is 13th-toughest for QBs, including a pair of top-4 QB defenses in the Jaguars (Week 11) and Seahawks (Week 14). But McCarthy also gets three more games against bottom-12 QB defenses in the Colts (Week 12), Lions (Week 16), and Cowboys (Week 17).
