Who Should I Start? Sam Darnold or C.J. Stroud

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.

Sunday, October 5, 5:35 PM

Houston Texans quarterback C.J. Stroud completed 23 of 27 pass attempts for 244 yards, four touchdowns, and zero interceptions during Sunday's Week 5 win over the Baltimore Ravens. He also broke off a 30-yard rush and took two sacks. The former No. 2 pick showed flashes of his rookie self as the Texans took advantage of an injury-riddled Ravens defense. Stroud set his season high in completion rate, passing yards, and passing touchdowns along the way. This was a very soft matchup for the young quarterback, so Sunday's result doesn't necessarily mean he's back to being a high-end QB1 every week. However, at the very least, the big game should give him some confidence going forward and give the Texans something to build off of and learn from. Houston has a Week 6 bye, which means they'll have an extra week to figure out what went right as they develop their game plan for Week 7 against Seattle.