Who Should I Start? Sam Darnold or Justin Fields

Thursday, June 4, 8:49 AM

Kansas City Chiefs quarterback Justin Fields remains in the mix to start Week 1 of the 2026 season, giving him some short-term upside in fantasy football. The Chiefs traded for Fields this offseason as a solid backup option to Patrick Mahomes (knee), who might not be ready for the season opener. If that's the case, Fields would draw the start against the Broncos, with potential games to follow in subsequent weeks against the Colts, Dolphins, and Raiders. The former Bears first-round pick was a productive fantasy option in 2024 with the Steelers, but he lost his job to Russell Wilson midseason that year. Likewise, he was a solid fantasy quarterback as a Jet in 2025, but an injury cost him the second half of his season. Across his six healthy games last year, Fields totaled 1,259 passing yards, 325 rushing yards, 11 total touchdowns, and just two turnovers. Fields' rushing upside and ability to protect the football give him high-end QB2 appeal as long as Mahomes is sidelined, even if that's just for a couple of weeks. Dynasty managers with some quarterback uncertainty should look to acquire him at a discount and deploy him as a solid fantasy option for the first few weeks of the 2026 campaign.