Who Should I Start? Sam Darnold or Justin Fields

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 11, 12:08 PM

ESPN's Adam Schefter reports that the Pittsburgh Steelers are going to pull out all the stops to try and beat the division-rival Baltimore Ravens in the wild-card showdown on Saturday night, which includes using backup quarterback Justin Fields in the offense. Since Russell Wilson took over for the Steelers under center in Week 7, Fields has attempted just one pass while rushing seven times for 58 yards in four games, so it's hard to imagine him having a major role all of a sudden in the postseason. However, it's more reason to fade Wilson in DFS lineups against a Ravens defense that has played its best football at the end of the season. If anything, the Steelers could sprinkle Fields in a bit more on some run-pass option plays to try and keep Baltimore's defense guessing, but it most likely won't be enough to give Fields any kind of fantasy appeal.