​You remember what happened with the Vikings last season. J.J. McCarthy stepped in as the opening starter, sparked some early enthusiasm, and then unraveled into inconsistency. First, Carson Wentz started for a stretch, then Max Brosmer, and finally McCarthy was back under center. In the end, Minnesota’s quarterback situation became the anchor that pulled the whole team down, making the 2025 season a disaster. The Vikings finished with a winning record, yes, but only after five straight wins down the stretch following a near-elimination. It wasn’t a showcase of overall excellence, yet you could easily win bets with those who focus on the McCarthy/Wentz/Brosmer subplot rather than the 9-8 record. The fact they closed at 9-8 despite quarterback chaos speaks to the coaching staff and the rest of the roster, and it hints that if Minnesota can field competent quarterback play in 2026, they could be a dangerous squad.
Remove last year from the equation, and Kyler Murray has never finished worse than 12th in fantasy points per game at quarterback or posted fewer than 18.1 PPG in a season. Yet last year, in five games, he ranked 20th with 16.2 PPG. The question then becomes whether 2025 represents what we should expect from Murray going forward. Here’s the catch: the Cardinals benched him last year—whether through a formal benching or a combination of injury and phantom issues—because they signaled he wasn’t part of their future plans. If he arrives in Minnesota this year and looks lost under center, there’s little reason for the Vikings to keep him beyond the season. If you’re going to lose anyway, you might as well roll with J.J. McCarthy for one more shot. And that’s precisely the kind of fantasy player you want. A guy who will play, even if he has bad games, is someone you don’t feel compelled to overthink benching. If he’s going to be effective, he’ll be in your lineup; if not, you can move on without the pressure of forced loyalty.
MINNEAPOLIS, MN – DECEMBER 01: Arizona Cardinals quarterback Kyler Murray (1) looks on before the NFL game between the Arizona Cardinals and the Minnesota Vikings on December 1st, 2024, at U.S. Bank Stadium in Minneapolis, MN. (Photo by Bailey Hillesheim/Icon Sportswire)
Murray currently sits around QB17 in ADP. It’s almost a certainty he won’t stay there. If he’s the starter all season, his floor is around QB14 or better, and his baseline is higher. If he’s not delivering borderline QB1 numbers, he won’t hold the starting job all year. So draft Murray late, pair him with a safe, plug-and-play option like Jordan Love or Sam Darnold who can be started reliably all season, and you put yourself in a strong position to land a fantasy QB1 in 2026 at bargain-basement pricing.
Mason has emerged as a popular plug-and-play back over the last two years, first as Christian McCaffrey’s backup and then as a backup to Aaron Jones Jr. He’s now functioning more as a 1B to Jones’s 1A this season, which places him just ahead of Jones in PPR formats. Here’s the point for search engine optimization and broader readability: the role Mason holds in drafts and flex-worthy lineups makes him a value play in many leagues, especially if the workload shifts slightly in his favor. Whether you’re chasing consistent production or upside, Mason offers a dependable floor with a realistic ceiling contingent on how the offense sets up around him this year.