Who Should I Start? Matthew Stafford or Sam Darnold

Saturday, September 13, 11:47 AM

Los Angeles Rams quarterback Matthew Stafford is not a top fantasy option for Week 2 against the Tennessee Titans. Instead, he ranks as a low-end QB2. First of all, the Titans' passing defense showed major strides in Week 1, intercepting Bo Nix twice. This was the lone bright spot for a Tennessee team that struggled essentially everywhere else. Additionally, the Rams are favored to win, so they could adopt a run-heavy approach that aims to drain the clock. If so, we'll see fewer attempts from Stafford through the air. With a respectable matchup and potentially positive game script, Stafford, who lacks rushing upside, drops to the fringe top-24 range.

Friday, September 12, 12:01 PM

Seattle Seahawks quarterback Sam Darnold will look to bounce back in Week 2 against the Pittsburgh Steelers. In his first start as a Seahawk. Darnold posted just 150 passing yards on 16 completions. 124 of those yards went to wide receiver Jaxon Smith-Njigba. The Seahawks' offense lacks rhythm and cohesiveness, although that is to be expected with a new scheme and so many new pieces. Week 2 presents a new opportunity, but it may not bring fantasy fun. The Steelers' defense should improve upon its poor outing in Week 1 against the Jets. On the flip side, the Seahawks' offense can also go nowhere but up. Either way, Darnold should not be rostered right now. While he has a great chance to play well for Seattle this year, his 2024 fantasy breakout was fueled by his 35 touchdown passes. That seems like an unlikely feat for Darnold to achieve in this scheme. Unless the Seahawks' pass rate grows substantially, Darnold should not be on the fantasy radar.