Who Should I Start? Sam Darnold or Trevor Lawrence


Week 1 Projections

Fant.
Pts.
Rush.
Yds.
Rush
TD
Rec. Rec.
Yds.
Rec
TD
21.9 8.6 0.1 0.0 0.0 0.0

Sam Darnold News

Sam Darnold Not in Streaming Conversation for Week 1

Tuesday, September 8, 2:37 PM

Seattle Seahawks quarterback Sam Darnold is not in the streaming conversation when Seattle hosts the New England Patriots in Week 1. The Patriots boast a quality defense, and this feels like a game in which Seattle will rely more heavily on the running game. The Patriots were near the top of the pack against opposing quarterbacks in fantasy in 2025 as well. While they were not exactly facing the most quality opponents, this was still a defense that took care of business when it needed to. Darnold was the QB13 in 2025 due to his scorching first half of the season. However, the Seahawks' offensive strategy shifted down the stretch once Darnold began to struggle with turnovers. Darnold turned it around for the playoffs, but there are plenty of other quarterback options in Week 1 who have a narrower range of outcomes. Leave Darnold on waivers for this week.


Week 1 Projections

Fant.
Pts.
Rush.
Yds.
Rush
TD
Rec. Rec.
Yds.
Rec
TD
24.6 19.2 0.3 0.0 0.0 0.0

Trevor Lawrence News

Trevor Lawrence Set for Potential Career-Best Season with Strong Supporting Cast

Thursday, September 3, 7:35 PM

Jacksonville Jaguars quarterback Trevor Lawrence had an impressive 2025 season, but he could take yet another step forward with a very strong supporting cast at his disposal in 2026. Lawrence has a stacked wide receiver room featuring Brian Thomas Jr., Jakobi Meyers, Parker Washington, and (sometimes) Travis Hunter. Meanwhile, tight end Brenton Strange is expected to make a big Year 4 leap, and Bhayshul Tuten projects as another key target for Lawrence in the short-yardage passing game. Last year, Lawrence completed 60.9% of his pass attempts for 4,007 passing yards, 29 passing touchdowns, and 12 interceptions. He was arguably even more impressive with his legs, rushing for an additional 359 yards and nine touchdowns. Throughout the course of the year, he totaled 38 touchdowns, allowing him to rank as the overall QB4 in fantasy football. He has a chance to replicate (or even improve upon) that career-best fantasy finish from last year. The current rankings are on the safer side, though, as RotoBaller's experts have Lawrence as the QB9 in redraft. He currently has an ADP of 93.7, which corresponds to the eighth round of drafts and makes him the 10th quarterback off the board.


Sam Darnold vs. Trevor Lawrence

Still trying to decide between Darnold and Lawrence? 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 21.9 points this week while Trevor Lawrence is projected to score 24.6 points.