Who Should I Start? Sam Darnold or Fernando Mendoza

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Week 1 Projections

Fant.
Pts.		 Rush.
Yds.		 Rush
TD		 Rec. Rec.
Yds.		 Rec
TD
0.0 0.0 0.0 0.0 0.0 0.0

Sam Darnold News

Superstar Receiver Boosts Sam Darnold's Dynasty Value

Thursday, June 4, 9:23 AM

Seattle Seahawks quarterback Sam Darnold lacks significant dynasty upside because of his limited mobility, but the presence of superstar wide receiver Jaxon Smith-Njigba does give his outlook a boost. Throwing the ball to the NFL's Offensive Player of the Year last season, Darnold racked up 4,048 passing yards, 25 touchdowns, and 14 interceptions, as well as six lost fumbles. He finished the year as the QB13, one year after ranking as the QB9 with the Vikings. Darnold has had the fortune of playing with elite receivers each of the last two seasons, and it has resulted in low-end QB1 or high-end QB2 results. Therefore, as long as he continues to have Smith-Njigba at his disposal, the 28-year-old ranks as a mid-to-high QB2 in fantasy football. Managers would like to see him cut down on turnovers next year, but we do expect to see his touchdown total increase slightly. Darnold currently ranks as the QB23 in RotoBaller's latest dynasty fantasy football rankings.

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Week 1 Projections

Fant.
Pts.		 Rush.
Yds.		 Rush
TD		 Rec. Rec.
Yds.		 Rec
TD
0.0 0.0 0.0 0.0 0.0 0.0

Fernando Mendoza News

Fernando Mendoza a Long-term Dynasty Investment Who Could Be Brought Along Slowly

Friday, June 12, 5:36 AM

Las Vegas Raiders quarterback Fernando Mendoza spent most of minicamp working with the third-team offense, as he did during organized team activities. While praising him for his work ethic and attitude, head coach Klint Kubiak has made it clear that the first overall pick of the 2026 NFL Draft will not just be handed starting reps. With veterans Kirk Cousins and Aidan O'Connell still ahead of him on the unofficial depth chart, the next month and a half before teams gather again for training camp will be a critical stage in Mendoza's development. An opportunity to lead the second-team offense should come early in camp, but from there, Mendoza will need to continue demonstrating growth to push for a starting job that will need to be earned rather than assumed. While the playmakers in Vegas are not necessarily a deep group outside of tight end Brock Bowers and running back Ashton Jeanty, it's clear the team is doing all it can to set Mendoza up for long-term success, and at RotoBaller's dynasty QB17, he is worthy of an early selection in superflex rookie drafts.

Sam Darnold vs. Fernando Mendoza

Still trying to decide between Darnold and Mendoza? 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 0.0 points this week while Fernando Mendoza is projected to score 0.0 points.