Should I drop Deshaun Watson for J.J. McCarthy?

One scoring page covers these positions; reception points do not affect this comparison.

THE DROP / ADD CALL

Ultra Smash: add J.J. McCarthy for Deshaun Watson

This week’s projections are 8.3 FP for Deshaun Watson and 15.0 FP for J.J. McCarthy. J.J. McCarthy leads by 71.8 FP across the evaluated weeks and holds up in the Weeks 15–18 outlook. These are player forecast totals. Use your league’s playoff weeks and roster needs to make the final call. Deshaun Watson is questionable; an injury designation alone is not a reason to drop him.

Forecast updated Nov 6, 3:15 PM ET

PLAYER TO DROP

Deshaun Watson

QB · CLE · vs NO

Stats & schedule ›

8.3FF projected FP

Nov 8, 1:00 PM ET

Check current availability

Planning a bid? Deshaun Watson FAAB guide ↗

11.1%rostered on ESPN-0.83 pp recent change

PLAYER TO ADD

J.J. McCarthy

QB · NYG · vs PHI

Stats & schedule ›

15.0FF projected FP

Nov 8, 1:00 PM ET

Planning a bid? J.J. McCarthy FAAB guide ↗

31.8%rostered on ESPN+3.87 pp recent change

WHY THIS MOVE?

A better week is only part of the decision.

Deshaun Watson is 11.1% rostered; J.J. McCarthy is 31.8% rostered on ESPN. Ownership describes availability across leagues, not yours. Compare the weeks you need covered and the value you give up. A replacement can help now while weakening a later lineup.

Deshaun Watson

Deshaun Watson projects for 8.3 Standard points against NO this week. His recent scoring average is 12.9 FP. He is rostered in 11.1% of ESPN leagues, with a reported decline of 0.83 percentage points. His injury designation needs monitoring; it does not by itself justify dropping him. Roster trends measure manager activity, not a guarantee of playing time or availability in your league.

FF projection: 8.3 FP
Sleeper: 0.0 FP
FantasyPros: 0.5 FP
Boosted Trees: 15.7 FP; Experimental · saved Oct 27, 12:03 AM ET

J.J. McCarthy

J.J. McCarthy projects for 15.0 Standard points against PHI this week. His recent scoring average is 13.3 FP. He is rostered in 31.8% of ESPN leagues, with a reported gain of 3.87 percentage points. Roster trends measure manager activity, not a guarantee of playing time or availability in your league.

FF projection: 15.0 FP -2.6vs ESPN
ESPN: 17.6 FP
Sleeper: 14.8 FP
FantasyPros: 15.6 FP
Boosted Trees: 17.5 FP; Experimental · saved Oct 27, 12:03 AM ET

Roster snapshot Nov 6, 2:30 PM ET. Saved models support the assessment; they are not independent votes. A full roster and league settings are needed to evaluate starter impact.

THE HOLD, NOT JUST THE CLAIM

What comes after this week?

The Drop / Add assessment uses the immediate and future FF outlook together. For a bye replacement, the hold decision starts after the bye. Totals describe the player, not extra points for your roster. Weeks 15–18 are a calendar view; your league’s playoff weeks may differ. Green highlights the higher displayed projection when both outlooks are known; ties and incomplete comparisons stay neutral.

Window	Deshaun Watson	J.J. McCarthy
Next 3 weeks	22.6 FP2/2 scheduled games projected · Bye Week 11 · cover needed	47.3 FPHigher projection3/3 scheduled games projected
Remaining regular-season schedule	86.4 FP9/9 scheduled games projected · Bye Week 11 · cover needed	158.2 FPHigher projection10/10 scheduled games projected
Weeks 15–18	35.8 FP4/4 scheduled games projected	68.0 FPHigher projection4/4 scheduled games projected

Weekly Drop / Add outlook

Week	Deshaun Watson	J.J. McCarthy
Week 9	8.3 FPvs NO	15.0 FPvs PHIHigher projection
Week 10	14.3 FPvs HOU	18.3 FPvs WASHigher projection
Week 11	BYE	14.0 FPvs JACHigher projection
Week 12	10.4 FPvs LV	17.4 FPvs INDHigher projection
Week 13	9.0 FPvs CIN	14.0 FPvs SFHigher projection
Week 14	8.7 FPvs ATL	11.5 FPvs SEAHigher projection
Week 15	9.0 FPvs NYG	14.3 FPvs CLEHigher projection
Week 16	8.3 FPvs BAL	19.2 FPvs DETHigher projection
Week 17	9.9 FPvs IND	18.7 FPvs DALHigher projection
Week 18	8.6 FPvs CIN	15.7 FPvs PHIHigher projection