Who Should I Start? Sam Darnold or Drake Maye

Friday, October 17, 8:47 PM

Seattle Seahawks quarterback Sam Darnold has been an exciting fantasy asset of late. Unfortunately, Darnold draws a very tough matchup against the Houston Texans on Monday night. Houston is the No. 1 overall team against opposing quarterbacks in fantasy in 2025. This passing defense has done well to shut down every opposing quarterback they have played, especially over the past two games. Even Tampa Bay Buccaneers quarterback Baker Mayfield had a pedestrian game against this defense in Week 2. Darnold's hot streak has included two straight games with at least 20 fantasy points. Additionally, Darnold has produced at least 242 passing yards in four of his past five games. Best of all, Darnold is protecting the football with just four turnovers this season. Darnold should continue to protect the ball against the Texans this week, but Houston's smothering defense may cap his overall passing output. This projects to be a lower-scoring game in a clash between two elite defenses. As such, Darnold should be rostered, but left on your bench in Week 7.

Sunday, October 26, 5:58 PM

New England Patriots quarterback Drake Maye completed 18 of his 24 pass attempts for 282 yards, three touchdowns, and one interception during Sunday's Week 8 win over the Cleveland Browns. He also took six sacks and rushed for 50 yards. The former No. 3 pick continues to dominate during his breakout campaign, as he now has 17 total touchdowns and just three interceptions in 2025. He is also completing passes at an elite rate, maintaining a completion percentage north of 75 percent. All the while, he has looked like one of the NFL's better rushing quarterbacks and has led the Patriots to an AFC East-leading 6-2 start. Maye's six sacks and one interception on Sunday weren't ideal, but he made up for it with his completion rate, yardage, touchdowns, and the win. The 23-year-old remains a mid-range fantasy QB1 heading into a clash with the Falcons, who just surrendered four passing touchdowns to Tua Tagovailoa.