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Perhaps J.J. McCarthy found himself a new alter ego wearing No. 18 in his Giants debut on Sunday.
His fourth-quarter brilliance in the 34-27 defeat to the Saints earned him the starting role against the Texans in Week 7, head coach John Harbaugh announced on Wednesday.
After coming off the bench in a 31-10 hole, McCarthy’s 243 passing yards were the most within an 11-minute span in NFL history.
The furious effort vaulted him to QB5 on the week and improved his roster percentage to 11.4 percent in ESPN fantasy leagues. It remains to be seen what McCarthy can offer the Giants with more opportunity, but it makes him a flier in Superflex or two-quarterback leagues at the very least.
Unlike Jameis Winston, McCarthy poses more of a threat with his mobility, gaining 26 rushing yards on only two attempts in relief.
McCarthy’s scrambling ability forces linebackers and edge rushers to account for him instead of constantly loading the box, which can open lanes for Big Blue’s unsettled backfield.
The running back depth chart is in flux right now, as Harbaugh has chosen to take a committee approach between Cam Skattebo, Tyrone Tracy Jr. and Devin Singletary.
Najee Harris was released on Tuesday after criticizing the platoon strategy.
The Giants’ offense was initially designed around Run-Pass Option execution for Jaxson Dart, so McCarthy’s skill set can unlock these packages that had to be scaled back under Winston.
He’s not afraid to take big shots downfield, either. McCarthy hit wideout Charlie Jones for a 49-yard gain — his longest connection of the afternoon. He has the off-script spark to ignite the passing attack; he just comes with some turnover liability.
Last we saw McCarthy in a starting role, he had 11 touchdowns against 12 interceptions through 10 games for Minnesota.
Nonetheless, Malik Nabers should remain a set-and-forget WR1. He owns a league-leading 34 percent target share since Week 4 and 95 of his 165 yards last week came from McCarthy.
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Isaiah Likely also remains a TE1 until proven otherwise. He’s become an essential part of the Giants offense in his first season with Big Blue, posting a 28.6 percent season-long target share that’s fifth overall and first among tight ends.
McCarthy produced those numbers against a defense protecting a 24-point lead, and he’ll need to replicate that success from the opening snap against a Texans defense allowing the third-fewest fantasy points to quarterbacks this week.
Why Trust New York Post Betting
Sean Treppedi handicaps the NFL, NHL, MLB and college football for the New York Post. He primarily focuses on picks that reflect market value while tracking trends to mitigate risk.