In the NFL, production—especially as a rookie—is determined by several factors that aren’t simply how talented that player is. One of the most important factors in production is the fit. Often, in the NFL, it doesn’t matter how good a player is coming out of college. If he lands in a spot that doesn’t support and promote his growth, he will almost inevitably find himself with the dreaded “bust” label.
The same is true when it comes to fantasy football production. Players’ production largely depends upon the setting they find themselves in and how well that lends to their success. Regarding the rookies from the 2024 NFL draft, Minnesota Vikings quarterback J.J. McCarthy was one of the best fits, according to the team at PlayerProfiler.
PlayerProfiler fantasy writer Jason Allwine loves the fit of McCarthy to the Vikings, stating that McCarthy “lands in one of the more quarterback friendly situations in the entire league- going No. 10 overall to the Vikings” and calls it a “dream spot for a QB like McCarthy.”
McCarthy took a lot of flak from analysts for not having the production numbers while at Michigan that one might expect from a top-tier quarterback, but what McCarthy excelled at for the Wolverines was efficiency. McCarthy threw for nearly 3,000 yards and 22 touchdowns last season despite Michigan finishing 76th in the nation in pass plays per game.
McCarthy also came in sixth in the nation last season with a completion percentage of 72.3 percent. Some might see the weapons around him in the Michigan offense and balk, but McCarthy now comes into an offense that boasts Justin Jefferson, Jordan Addison, and T.J. Hockenson. There’s plenty of reason to believe that efficiency will carry over once McCarthy reaches the starting lineup.