Who Should I Start? Sam Darnold or Joe Burrow

Tuesday, January 14, 4:51 PM

Minnesota Vikings quarterback Sam Darnold resurrected his career by leading the Vikings to 14 wins in 2024 while posting career-highs in passing yards (4,319) and touchdowns (35), but he came crashing down hard in losses to the Detroit Lions in Week 18 and the Los Angeles Rams in the wild-card round in which he had a combined 23 off-target throws and took 11 sacks. Darnold's future is now as unsettled as ever as he heads toward free agency in March, but ESPN's Jeremy Fowler writes that Darnold is still the top free-agent QB. The teams that Fowler has spoken with recently forecasted Darnold in the Geno Smith/Baker Mayfield weight class of contracts. Mayfield got a three-year, $100 million deal last offseason with Tampa, while Smith signed a three-year, $75 million deal before the 2023 season. Darnold tanked to end the year, but he did enough to find work as a starter somewhere else if Minnesota doesn't want him back.

Saturday, January 4, 11:25 PM

Cincinnati Bengals quarterback Joe Burrow threw for 277 yards, one touchdown, and one pick off 37-for-46 passing in Saturday's much-needed win over the Steelers. The signal-caller entered Week 18 by tossing at least three touchdowns each of his last eight appearances. While he cooled off on Saturday night, he still did enough to lead the Bengals to another victory while keeping the team's postseason hopes alive. With that in mind, regardless of what happens with Cincinnati concerning the playoffs, Burrow will be a top-five quarterback in all fantasy drafts heading into the 2025-26 campaign.