Who Should I Start? Kirk Cousins or Sam Darnold

BENCH

Week 1 Projections

Fant.
Pts.		 Rush.
Yds.		 Rush
TD		 Rec. Rec.
Yds.		 Rec
TD
20.7 5.0 0.1 0.0 0.0 0.0

Kirk Cousins News

Raiders Officially Name Kirk Cousins the Week 1 Starter

Wednesday, September 2, 8:52 AM

Las Vegas Raiders head coach Klint Kubiak has officially named veteran Kirk Cousins as the starting quarterback for Week 1 against the Miami Dolphins, according to Ryan McFadden of ESPN. Despite a training-camp push by first overall pick Fernando Mendoza, the Raiders have decided to let the 38-year-old veteran open the 2026 campaign as the starter under center. The expectation all along was that Cousins would open the year as the starter to give Mendoza more time to adapt to the NFL game and get used to playing under center. In 30 offensive snaps during the preseason, Cousins went 13-for-17 for 101 yards with one touchdown. Cousins could have some low-end QB2 sleeper appeal in the season opener against Miami in what should be an improved Raiders offense, but with Mendoza looming as the long-term option at the position, he makes for an unintriguing two-QB superflex option in season-long formats as he heads into his 15th NFL season.

START

Week 1 Projections

Fant.
Pts.		 Rush.
Yds.		 Rush
TD		 Rec. Rec.
Yds.		 Rec
TD
21.9 8.6 0.1 0.0 0.0 0.0

Sam Darnold News

Sam Darnold is Ruled Out with Hip Injury

Wednesday, September 9, 5:44 PM

Seattle Seahawks quarterback Sam Darnold (hip) has been ruled out for the rest of Wednesday's Week 1 contest against the New England Patriots. Darnold suffered a hip injury while taking a sack during the opening drive of the game. The 29-year-old will officially miss the rest of this game while he undergoes further testing on his hip. Drew Lock has taken over under center for the rest of this game and possibly longer. Fantasy managers will need to wait until the testing is completed, but they might need to look for another quarterback if Darnold misses an extended period of time. Without Darnold, Lock would likely start in Week 2 against the Arizona Cardinals.

Kirk Cousins vs. Sam Darnold

Still trying to decide between Cousins and Darnold? Check on the latest news to make sure both players are active and healthy. Our PPR projections show that Kirk Cousins is projected to score 20.7 points this week while Sam Darnold is projected to score 21.9 points.