Kyler Murray Named Vikings Starting QB: Fantasy Football Impact

We have more NFL news to discuss today, so let's dive into a few different topics.

Here is the Monday NFL news roundup we did. More fantasy football coverage can be found on FantasySP!

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Murray Named Vikings' Starting QB

Kyler Murray has unsurprisingly won the Vikings' starting quarterback job, beating out J.J. McCarthy for that spot.

Murray is 29 years old and is going into his eighth year in the NFL. He was with the Cardinals for the first seven years, and started all 87 games he appeared in.

He lost the starting job last season and only got in five games overall. Murray completed 68.3% of his passes for 962 yards, six touchdowns and three interceptions. The dual-threat QB rushed for 173 yards and a touchdown across 29 carries.

Minnesota was a solid team in 2025, but QB play held the team back. McCarthy was part of the problem, so Minnesota brought in Murray to compete for the starting job.

Most expected him to win the job, and now that he has, we can start looking at the Vikings' fantasy playmakers with a bit clearer view.

Right now, Murray has an ADP of 128.75, so he's going near the end of redraft leagues. He's one to consider as a second fantasy QB, and he has some upside as a dual-threat guy. I wouldn't expect his ADP to shoot way up, but it could by a round or two.

I'm fine taking Murray later in a redraft league, especially if your QB1 isn't an every-week starter. Murray could revitalize his career in Minnesota, especially with the playmakers the team has around.

Aaron Jones Sr. and Jordan Mason are the 1-2 tandem in the backfield. The Murray news doesn't really alter much for either back, but the QB could also take some rushing stats away from the RBs, so maybe the ADPs for Jones and Mason will drop a little bit.

Justin Jefferson leads the pass catchers, with Jordan Addison and Jauan Jennings as the other projected starting wideouts. T.J. Hockenson is the top tight end.

Jefferson struggled a year ago, but is still going at pick 11.5 on average. I've written a few times already this year about how I think that's too early. I still think it is, even after the Murray news. Getting him closer to pick 20, or after, is a much safer spot to draft Jefferson at in my eyes.

Addison is at pick 105 on average. Again, Murray winning the starting job shouldn't alter that too much. I think that's a solid value for Addison, but he's more a flex-level option, not an every-week starting option, at least to open the season.

Jennings is at pick 155.75 on average, while Hockenson is at pick 158 so far. Both are just fantasy depth options in redraft leagues to kick off the season. They'll have weeks where they score well, but it will probably be tough to determine when those are coming, so outside of deeper leagues, I don't see either guy starting too much.

As for McCarthy, he can obviously be skipped in redraft leagues now. This news hurts his dynasty outlook a good bit too. And if Murray looks good this coming season, McCarthy could be out of a job in Minnesota for good.

Cowboys Lock in Defender

Quinnen Williams signed a three-year extension with the Cowboys - it's worth $105.9 million.

Williams is a defensive tackle who was acquired via trade last season. He locks down the middle of the team's defensive line for the next couple years now.

Across 15 games last year, Williams had an interception, a pass defensed, three forced fumbles, 2.5 sacks and 53 combined tackles. He's a solid IDP option, and as he settles in with Dallas a bit more, he could improve his value.

The extension is a boost for the Cowboys and their real-world chances in the seasons to come. The 28-year-old Williams will be a good IDP option for at least the length of that extension, but in dynasty leagues, he's better suited to be on contending teams, not rebuilding ones.

Two Lions Battling Injuries

Running back Isiah Pacheco and center Cade Mays have injuries they are dealing with right now.

Pacheco has an MCL sprain, and won't play in the preseason, but should be ready for the start of the regular season. Mays has a wrist injury that will cost him between 8-10 weeks most likely - that will force him to miss some regular season games.

Pacheco is the top backup to Jahmyr Gibbs, who is expected to be a workhorse in 2026. That could especially be the case early in the season, with the team not wanting to overuse Pacheco. There's really no other notable backs on the team, so I still expect Pacheco to handle most of the secondary touches after Gibbs.

Pacheco is going near pick 150 so far. This injury news is likely to send that number down a bit. He's one to stash in some deeper leagues, but unless Gibbs is injured or out, I don't see Pacheco doing a ton in 2026.

As for Mays, that could be a bigger loss for Detroit, as he was the starting center. Juice Scruggs is among the guys who will get a chance to fill that spot until Mays is back.

Mays was an offseason signing, and was expected to fortify the middle of the o-line. That could make the Lions' offense weaker until he returns, so keep that in mind early in the season.

It shouldn't alter ADP rankings too much, but you might have to temper expectations with Gibbs, Jared Goff, Amon-Ra St. Brown, Jameson Williams and Sam LaPorta a bit if the offensive line is weak.