Who Should I Start? Aaron Rodgers or Sam Darnold

Friday, October 17, 12:39 AM

Pittsburgh Steelers quarterback Aaron Rodgers completed 23 of his 34 pass attempts for 249 yards, four touchdowns, and two interceptions during Thursday's Week 7 loss against the Cincinnati Bengals. He also rushed for six yards and didn't take a sack. The four touchdowns worked wonders as Rodgers attempted to mount a late comeback on national television, but you could also argue that his two interceptions were the difference between a win and a loss in Cincinnati. One of the two turnovers wasn't exactly Rodgers' fault as his sideline pass was ripped out of DK Metcalf's hands, but the other came on an overthrown pass that the veteran quarterback would have loved to get back. With that being said, fantasy managers won't gripe too much about the two turnovers, as his four touchdowns were more than enough to boost his point total. He's a solid mid-range QB2 heading into Week 8 against the Green Bay Packers.

Tuesday, October 14, 4:59 PM

Fantasy managers were understandably skeptical as to whether quarterback Sam Darnold could follow up his outstanding 2024 season with the Minnesota Vikings this year after heading to the NFC West to play for the Seattle Seahawks. Through six weeks with his new team, it's clear that the former third overall pick out of USC is picking up where he left off. The 28-year-old continued to play well in Week 6 against a ball-hawking Jacksonville Jaguars defense and finished just shy of 300 yards passing with two touchdowns and no interceptions. Darnold has latched onto star receiver Jaxon Smith-Njigba as his go-to target, and it's working. Since a mediocre 150-yard, no-touchdown performance in Week 1, Darnold has thrown for multiple touchdowns in five games and has gone 98-for-138 for 1,391 yards, 11 TDs, and three picks. He continues to be aggressive downfield and should at least be rostered in every fantasy league as a high-end QB2 going forward. He'll really be tested in Week 7 against a Houston Texans defense that has allowed the fewest fantasy points per game to opposing QBs through five games.