Who Should I Start? Sam Darnold or Travis Etienne Jr.

Sunday, October 5, 8:59 PM

Seattle Seahawks quarterback Sam Darnold completed 28 of 34 pass attempts for 341 yards, four touchdowns, and one interception during Sunday's Week 5 loss against the Tampa Bay Buccaneers. He was not sacked in the contest. Darnold essentially played mistake-free football for the first 59 minutes, keeping the underdog Seahawks in the game until the very end. Along the way, he turned in one of the week's best fantasy performances, which was a refreshing development since he hadn't exceeded 21 fantasy points in a single game through the first four weeks. Unfortunately for Darnold and the Seahawks, the veteran quarterback threw an interception with 58 seconds left, setting up a game-winning field goal for Tampa Bay. Seattle lost, but Darnold proved that he can perform against an above-average defense. He'll rank as a mid-range QB2 for Week 6 against Jacksonville.

Sunday, September 28, 9:38 PM

Jacksonville Jaguars running back Travis Etienne Jr. dominated the San Francisco 49ers with 19 carries for 124 yards and a touchdown in his team's 26-21 Week 4 win. The 26-year-old is off to a terrific start to the 2025 season, with 65 carries for 394 yards and two touchdowns as a rusher, and six catches for 32 yards and a score as a receiver through his first four games. Etienne Jr. is also dominating backfield touches in Jacksonville so far, as Jaguars backup running backs Bhayshul Tuten and LeQuint Allen Jr. combined for just six touches in Week 4. Etienne Jr. profiles as a must-start fantasy running back going into a Week 5 showdown with the Kansas City Chiefs.