Who Should I Start? Sam Darnold or Calvin Austin III

Sunday, October 5, 8:59 PM

Seattle Seahawks quarterback Sam Darnold completed 28 of 34 pass attempts for 341 yards, four touchdowns, and one interception during Sunday's Week 5 loss against the Tampa Bay Buccaneers. He was not sacked in the contest. Darnold essentially played mistake-free football for the first 59 minutes, keeping the underdog Seahawks in the game until the very end. Along the way, he turned in one of the week's best fantasy performances, which was a refreshing development since he hadn't exceeded 21 fantasy points in a single game through the first four weeks. Unfortunately for Darnold and the Seahawks, the veteran quarterback threw an interception with 58 seconds left, setting up a game-winning field goal for Tampa Bay. Seattle lost, but Darnold proved that he can perform against an above-average defense. He'll rank as a mid-range QB2 for Week 6 against Jacksonville.

Tuesday, October 7, 12:39 PM

Pittsburgh Steelers head coach Mike Tomlin said that wide receiver Calvin Austin III (shoulder) will be limited at practice to start the week on Wednesday, but he could do more later in the week, according to Brooke Pryor of ESPN. Austin has been aggressive in his recovery during the team's Week 5 bye, and he's encouraged by his status heading into a Week 6 date against the division-rival Cleveland Browns. The 26-year-old pass-catcher injured his shoulder late in the Week 4 win over the Minnesota Vikings in Ireland, but he has a chance to play this weekend with the bye coming at the right time for him. Austin has been Pittsburgh's clear No. 2 WR behind DK Metcalf this year, catching 10 of his 17 targets for 139 yards and two touchdowns in four games. If he's active in Week 6, Austin will be a risky WR4/flex coming off injury against a strong Browns defense.