Who Should I Start? Sam Darnold or Cam Ward


Week 1 Projections

Fant.
Pts.
Rush.
Yds.
Rush
TD
Rec. Rec.
Yds.
Rec
TD
21.8 8.6 0.1 0.0 0.0 0.0

Sam Darnold News

Sam Darnold Should Benefit From Second Season in Seahawks Offense

Thursday, September 3, 6:46 PM

2025 Super Bowl-winning quarterback Sam Darnold enters his second season with the Seattle Seahawks with a chance to emerge as a high-end QB2, alongside star wide receiver Jaxon Smith-Njigba and the emergence of Rashid Shaheed, with a full offseason under his belt to build chemistry with Darnold. Shaheed was brought over to the Seahawks in Week 9 of the 2025 season. Darnold finished the 2025 season as the QB13, throwing for 4,048 yards, 25 touchdowns, and 14 interceptions. This was followed by a season with the Vikings in 2024, where he finished as the QB9. Although he lost his offensive coordinator, Klint Kubiak, who was brought on to be the head coach for the Raiders, RotoBaller currently ranks Darnold as the QB23 and the 140th player taken off the board. Fantasy managers in superflex formats could look to target Darnold as their QB2, as he has finished in the top 15 at the position in back-to-back seasons.


Week 1 Projections

Fant.
Pts.
Rush.
Yds.
Rush
TD
Rec. Rec.
Yds.
Rec
TD
21.3 10.1 0.1 0.0 0.0 0.0

Cam Ward News

Robert Saleh is Convinced Cam Ward Will Turn it Around

Friday, September 4, 12:31 PM

Tennessee Titans new head coach Robert Saleh is convinced that new offensive coordinator Brian Daboll will help quarterback Cam Ward improve in his second season in the NFL, according to Turron Davenport of ESPN. "This kid's not going to fail," Saleh said. "Obviously, I put my job on that one, but he's not going to fail. He's special." Ward did little to impress anyone in two preseason games, but he looked much better in joint practices against the Seattle Seahawks and Chicago Bears. Last year's first overall pick, Ward finished his rookie campaign with 3,169 passing yards (17th), 15 touchdowns (25th), and seven interceptions (tied for 10th-most), but he showed improvement in his final five games, throwing eight TDs and just one interception. "I have a lot of confidence in this young man," Daboll said. The new coaching staff is not looking to tweak Ward's throwing motion, but they are putting an emphasis on his decision-making, encouraging him to take what the defense is giving him while also looking for opportunities to make chunk gains down the field. With the offseason additions of receivers Wan'Dale Robinson and rookie Carnell Tate, Ward will have more help in the passing game. The jury is still out on Ward as he heads into Year 2, but with a better supporting cast of coaches and receivers, he is trending up in superflex fantasy leagues as a low-end QB2 option with upside in 2026.


Sam Darnold vs. Cam Ward

Still trying to decide between Darnold and Ward? Check on the latest news to make sure both players are active and healthy. Our PPR projections show that Sam Darnold is projected to score 21.8 points this week while Cam Ward is projected to score 21.3 points.