Dynasty Fantasy Football Buy/Sell Trade Outlooks - J.J. McCarthy, Michael Penix Jr., Kyler Murray

January 27, 2026

Nathan's fantasy football dynasty buy/sell trade advice for J.J. McCarthy, Kyler Murray, Michael Penix Jr. Are these QBs dynasty trade targets for 2026 fantasy football?

The 2025 season has come to a close, and fantasy managers, especially in dynasty leagues, are looking toward the future. Whether your team is in a rebuild or contending for a championship, every quarterback in the NFL needs to be evaluated because anything can happen.

In this piece, three quarterbacks who struggled in 2025 and could be fighting for their jobs in the summer will be assessed to determine whether they are good buy-low candidates or have no hope and are better off gone.

Fantasy championships can be won or lost at the quarterback position, and these three deep sleepers could have an impact on your leagues in 2026 and beyond.

Buy or Sell J.J. McCarthy in Dynasty Fantasy Football?

Minnesota Vikings quarterback J.J. McCarthy had a disastrous rookie season and enters the 2026 season with many question marks. In 10 games, McCarthy completed 140 of 243 passes (57.6%) for 1,632 yards with 11 touchdowns and 12 interceptions. Things are not trending upward for the former national champion quarterback.

McCarthy’s first season as the starter had more valleys than peaks, ranking last in On Target% (66.5%), Interception% (4.9%), and second to last in QBR (72.6) and Bad Throw% (21.3%). His accuracy was a major factor in the Vikings' struggles in 2025, dropping their offense from ninth-ranked in scoring to 26th last season.

BEARS PICK-SIX ON J.J. MCCARTHY 😱

Watch Vikings-Bears on ABC, ESPN and the ESPN App ➡️ https://t.co/CgLyUok6D9 pic.twitter.com/V3XeBfH5iv

— ESPN (@espn) September 9, 2025

The concerning stat: the Vikings ran over 1,050 plays in the first three years under head coach Kevin O’Connell. In 2025, they ran 954 plays, ranking 30th in the NFL. O’Connell simply didn’t trust McCarthy, and the entire offense took a significant hit, with Justin Jefferson, Jordan Addison, and T.J. Hockenson posting career lows that year.

McCarthy has also dealt with countless injuries dating back to the 2024 season, when he underwent surgery to repair his meniscus, which ended his season before it started. In 2025, he suffered a high-ankle sprain that knocked him out for five games, a concussion that forced him to miss another game, and a fracture in his throwing hand that affected him toward the end of the season.

The 2024 10th overall pick enters the upcoming season with questions about his role. According to The Athletic’s Dianna Russini, the Vikings are likely to explore veteran options to compete with McCarthy for the starting job. Given his injury concerns and struggles, it makes sense to add another option.

The positives are that he’s still in an elite situation with a superstar wide receiver, an ascending receiver in Addison, a good tight end, and a solid offensive line. Former Vikings quarterbacks Kirk Cousins and Sam Darnold had career years in this system, and McCarthy’s first-round draft capital puts him on the caliber of those players.

It depends on the competition the Vikings add at the quarterback position, but even if McCarthy wins the starting job in the summer, he’s still incredibly hard to trust given his 2025 campaign. His accuracy and injury concerns make him a “sell-low” candidate to a manager who still believes in his current situation.

Verdict: Sell Low

Buy or Sell Kyler Murray in Dynasty Fantasy Football?

Arizona Cardinals quarterback Kyler Murray was injured and benched last season, but with his running ability and past success, he is currently a “buy-low” candidate for fantasy purposes. In five games this season, Murray completed 68% of his passes for 962 yards, with six touchdowns and three interceptions.

He was inefficient, averaging just 6.0 yards per attempt (career-low), and the Cardinals went 2-3 with Murray under center. After suffering a Lisfranc sprain in Week 5 and not being ready to play for multiple weeks, Murray opted for surgery and missed the remainder of the 2025 season.

Now, Murray’s future in Arizona is up in the air. Cardinals general manager Monti Ossenfort said all options are on the table, and after veteran quarterback Jacoby Brissett was far more productive than Murray last season, they could try to release or trade him and recoup over $36 million in guarantees in Murray’s contract before the 2026 season.

If Murray hits the open market, several teams need a quarterback before next season. Teams that will enter next season's market for a new signal-caller include the Pittsburgh Steelers, New York Jets, Las Vegas Raiders, Miami Dolphins, and maybe the Cleveland Browns as well. With only the Raiders and the Jets picking within the top five in this year’s draft, the others will be hunting during free agency.

The former first overall pick will carry fantasy value no matter where he is because of his rushing ability. He’s averaged 36.7 rushing yards per game in his career and has scored 32 rushing touchdowns in 87 games. His rushing floor has helped him to top-10 QB finishes in five of his seven career seasons.

MURRAY MAGIC!!!!!!!!!@K1 X #BirdCityFootball pic.twitter.com/6lwMSQVP1r

— Arizona Cardinals (@AZCardinals) September 18, 2022

Even if the Cardinals stick with Murray for the 2026 season, they have an elite trio of weapons with Marvin Harrison Jr., Michael Wilson, and Trey McBride. His backup, Brissett, averaged 19.6 fantasy points per game after Murray was injured, and he brought little to no rushing ability to the table.

No matter where Murray is heading into the 2026 season, he will carry fantasy value. At this point, this will be the lowest his value will be. Fantasy managers should look to buy low on the former first overall pick, as a bounce back could be in the works if he’s a starter next season.

Verdict: Buy Low

Buy or Sell Michael Penix Jr. in Dynasty Fantasy Football?

Atlanta Falcons quarterback Michael Penix Jr. tore his ACL, ending his sophomore season after just nine games. His injury history is mounting, and his lack of a rushing floor should force fantasy managers to pivot away from the 2024 eighth overall pick.

Penix entered the 2025 season with hope after finishing the last three games for the Falcons on a high note. That hope quickly faded as he completed just 60% of his passes for 1,982 yards, with nine touchdowns and three interceptions in nine games. He finished the season averaging 13.7 fantasy points per game, ranking QB30 on a per-game basis.

The unfortunate note about his 2025 campaign was his accuracy, which was viewed as a strength for Penix as he entered the NFL. Penix ranked last among qualified quarterbacks in Bad Throw% (24%), fourth to last in Completion%, and went 3-6 as the starter, losing four games to teams with losing records.

Mike Jackson picks off Penix!@Panthers D pitching a shutout.

ATLvsCAR on FOX/FOX Onehttps://t.co/HkKw7uXVnt pic.twitter.com/Yza0YIXG6B

— NFL (@NFL) September 21, 2025

He also lacks a rushing floor that could elevate his subpar quarterback play to fantasy relevance. He is averaging 5.8 rushing yards per game in his career, placing him near the bottom of the NFL alongside Aaron Rodgers, Tua Tagovailoa, and Jared Goff.

That rushing ability isn’t going to improve, either, with Penix suffering the third ACL injury of his career. The average quarterback misses over 10 months to return from the injury, which would put Penix right on Week 1 for a return, but expect his mobility to be even more limited as he recovers once again.

Now, the Falcons have fired head coach Raheem Morris, meaning a new offensive coordinator will be in place for Penix in 2026. While it’s likely Penix will be the starting quarterback for the 2026 season, limited practice time under a new system could affect him as he enters next season.

There are many red flags surrounding the third-year quarterback, and not much upside to offset them. His injury history, inaccuracy, and lack of a rushing floor limit him. If his draft capital or potentially improved situation attracts other fantasy managers with Kevin Stefanski taking over head coaching duties, it would be wise to move on from the low-ceiling quarterback.

Verdict: Sell at Fair Price

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