Who Should I Start? Sam Darnold or Kenny Pickett
Week 1 Projections
| Fant. Pts. |
Rush. Yds. |
Rush TD |
Rec. | Rec. Yds. |
Rec TD |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 22.1 | 8.5 | 0.0 | 0.0 | 0.0 | 0.0 |
Sam Darnold News
Friday, August 14, 1:31 PM
Seattle Seahawks head coach Mike Macdonald said that quarterback Sam Darnold will not play in the team's preseason opener on Saturday against the Dallas Cowboys, according to FOX 13 Seattle's Curtis Crabtree. Backup QBs Drew Lok and Jalen Milroe will likely rotate series instead of handing off. Darnold surprised everyone by winning the Super Bowl over the New England Patriots in his first year in Seattle in 2025. The 29-year-old former third overall pick from USC in 2018 has been a Pro Bowler in back-to-back seasons now as a late-bloomer in the NFL, and he's thrown for over 4,000 yards with an even 60 touchdowns and 26 interceptions in 34 regular-season starts with the Seahawks and Minnesota Vikings. Darnold has arguably one of the top receivers in the game to work with in Jaxon Smith-Njigba, but his strong season in 2025 with Seattle culminated in only a QB13 finish in fantasy. He's now learning a new offense and doesn't have star RB Kenneth Walker around in the backfield, which screams regression. Darnold might have a solid QB2 floor in fantasy, but he's merely a bench stash in single-QB, 12-team leagues.
Week 1 Projections
| Fant. Pts. |
Rush. Yds. |
Rush TD |
Rec. | Rec. Yds. |
Rec TD |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 0.7 | 0.1 | 0.0 | 0.0 | 0.0 | 0.0 |
Kenny Pickett News
Monday, August 3, 8:27 AM
Carolina Panthers head coach Dave Canales said on Monday that quarterback Kenny Pickett will start the Hall of Fame Game on Thursday, Aug. 6, against the Arizona Cardinals, according to Joe Person of The Athletic. No clear-cut starters will play in the game for the Panthers. Now that veteran Andy Dalton is no longer in Carolina, Pickett is the favorite to serve as Bryce Young's backup in 2026 in his first year with the team. The 28-year-old former 20th overall pick by the Pittsburgh Steelers in 2022 from the University of Pittsburgh is with his third different team in the last three years, having spent 2024 with the Philadelphia Eagles and 2025 with the Las Vegas Raiders. Pickett played in 11 games (three starts) the last two seasons and threw for only 479 yards, three touchdowns, and three interceptions with the Eagles and Raiders in a backup role. He will only become an option in the deepest of superflex leagues in 2026 if he's forced into the starting role if Young goes down with an injury.
Sam Darnold vs. Kenny Pickett
Still trying to decide between Darnold and Pickett? 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 22.1 points this week while Kenny Pickett is projected to score 0.7 points.
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