Who Should I Start? Sam Darnold or J.J. McCarthy

Thursday, January 22, 4:12 PM

Seattle Seahawks quarterback Sam Darnold (oblique) is currently battling an oblique injury as his team prepares to host the Los Angeles Rams on Sunday in the NFC Championship Game. The 28-year-old reportedly plans to play through the ailment, just as he did in Seattle's Divisional Round win over the San Francisco 49ers. However, Darnold did not have to do much in the 41-6 win over San Francisco, completing 12 of 17 pass attempts for 124 yards and one touchdown. Darnold struggled in his two regular-season matchups against the Rams, throwing a combined six interceptions and taking four sacks. Dating back to the regular season, the dominant Seahawks' defense has held six of its last seven opponents to 16 points or fewer. Given Darnold's health status, Seattle may look to lean on its defense and run game to get past Los Angeles. Fantasy managers may want to avoid starting Darnold against the Rams.

Tuesday, January 13, 2:54 PM

Minnesota Vikings head coach Kevin O'Connell said he wants a competitive situation at quarterback going into next season, according to Alec Lewis of The Athletic. O'Connell said McCarthy "is going to be a major emphasis," but "the competition in that room will only enhance the entire team." The Vikings want McCarthy to seize the starting job, but he's going to have to earn it and play better than he did in 2026, and the Vikings are fully expected to add to their QB room to push McCarthy this offseason. The 22-year-old former first-round signal-caller missed his entire rookie season in 2024 due to a knee injury that required surgery. McCarthy missed time with multiple injuries in 2025 and struggled with turnovers and efficiency when he was on the field, completing 57.6% of his pass attempts for 1,632 yards, 11 touchdowns, and 12 interceptions in 10 starts. Fantasy managers will want to see improvement from the Michigan product before considering him as anything more than a low-end QB2 option with upside.