Fantasy Alert: Justin Jefferson Hypes Sam Darnold, J.J. McCarthy; Excited amid Battle

Minnesota Vikings wide receiver Justin Jefferson doesn't think he'll be getting such a downgrade at quarterback after all.

"All of the quarterbacks are doing great. J.J. is coming along, learning the playbook, and just getting comfortable being out there. Sam has been throwing bombs today, and he's been looking great as well," Jefferson told reporters. "I'm excited to see what all of the quarterbacks have during training camp and see who we're going to see during the season."

Jefferson has spent nearly his entire career hauling in passes from Kirk Cousins, a Pro Bowler who zeroed in on his top target and helped turn him into one of the NFL's best receivers.

Cousins left for the Atlanta Falcons in free agency this offseason, with the Vikings replacing him with Sam Darnold in free agency and J.J. McCarthy in the first round of the 2024 NFL draft.

Darnold is expected to be Minnesota's Week 1 starter. McCarthy, who led Michigan to a national championship last season, is viewed as the long-term option but is a bit of a project.

Jefferson got off to a dominant start to the 2023 season before going down in an Oct. 7 loss to the Kansas City Chiefs. He would miss the Vikings' next seven games before returning, finishing with 68 receptions for 1,074 yards and five touchdowns.

Jefferson, the No. 1 pick in many fantasy drafts last year, is the No. 6 overall player on FantasyPros' consensus overall rankings for the 2024 season. Concerns about quarterback play are the Jefferson's biggest detriment, but he could wind up being a steal if Darnold can be a reasonable facsimile of Cousins.

There is not all that much value in pouncing on Jefferson any earlier than he's being taken given the options ahead of him. That said, the more comfortable Darnold appears to be in the Vikings' new system, the better chances of Jefferson not being a bust.