Who Should I Start? Sam Darnold or Drake Maye
Week 1 Projections
| Fant. Pts. |
Rush. Yds. |
Rush TD |
Rec. | Rec. Yds. |
Rec TD |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 20.9 | 9.5 | 0.1 | 0.0 | 0.0 | 0.0 |
Sam Darnold News
Thursday, June 25, 4:49 PM
Seattle Seahawks quarterback Sam Darnold led the Seahawks to a Super Bowl victory in his first year with the team in 2025, but after a mediocre performance in the Super Bowl win over the New England Patriots, the veteran signal-caller knows he has plenty to work on going into his ninth year in the NFL. Darnold didn't turn the ball over in the postseason, but he had 20 regular-season turnovers (14 interceptions and six fumbles lost). "I think the biggest thing is continuing to build off of my weaknesses, understanding what I wasn't great at this past year, which I think for me is continuing to hone in on the deep ball, understand how I can be better that way, quieting my feet in the pocket," Darnold said. The former No. 3 overall pick by the New York Jets in 2018 out of USC threw for 4,048 yards, 25 touchdowns and 14 picks during 17 regular-season starts to finish as the QB13 in fantasy. The 29-year-old has one of the best receivers in the game in Jaxon Smith-Njigba at his disposal, but the Seahawks will be relying on rookie running back Jadarian Price after letting Kenneth Walker III walk in free agency. His QB13 finish in 2025 might be his ceiling when considering the lack of depth on Seattle's offense and the fact that the offense will be run by a first-time play-caller in Brian Fleury.
Week 1 Projections
| Fant. Pts. |
Rush. Yds. |
Rush TD |
Rec. | Rec. Yds. |
Rec TD |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 24.3 | 25.8 | 0.2 | 0.0 | 0.0 | 0.0 |
Drake Maye News
Friday, June 26, 5:13 AM
New England Patriots quarterback Drake Maye was one first-place vote away from winning the 2025 NFL MVP award in his first full season as a starter, and one area that his supporters pointed to was the level of pass catchers he was throwing to in comparison to the award's winner, Matthew Stafford. Heading into 2026, the Patriots have rebuilt their wide receiver corps, adding Romeo Doubs through free agency and sending a first and fifth-round pick to Philadelphia for three-time Pro Bowler A.J. Brown. Maye finished as the fantasy QB2 in 2025, accounting for 4,844 yards and 35 touchdowns through the air and on the ground, and as he continues to take agency over Josh McDaniels' offense, his game has the potential to reach even higher levels. He was one of the most proficient passers against man coverage last season, while Brown has been the league's most disruptive receiver against man since 2022, and with Brown and Doubs expected to hold the top two spots on the depth chart, the rest of New England's receivers like Mack Hollins, Kyle Williams, DeMario Douglas, and, for now, Kayshon Boutte can slot into their more natural positions. With improvements made to both the receiver room and offensive line, and still possessing the ability to keep plays alive well-beyond structure, Maye is RotoBaller's QB4 for 2026, though a QB1 finish is very much in his range of possibilities.
Sam Darnold vs. Drake Maye
Still trying to decide between Darnold and Maye? 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 20.9 points this week while Drake Maye is projected to score 24.3 points.
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