Vikings' Sam Darnold: Locked in as Week 1 starter
Darnold is in line to open the regular season as Minnesota's starting quarterback with J.J. McCarthy (knee) set to undergo surgery to address a meniscus tear, Adam Schefter of ESPN reports.
The former Jet, Panthers and 49er has already been handling the majority of first-team reps in training camp, and with McCarthy slated to miss anywhere from a few weeks to multiple months depending on what form of surgery he needs, Darnold has a clear path to the starting gig to open the regular season. In his lone preseason series thus far, he completed four of eight pass attempts for 59 yards with no touchdowns or interceptions. Given the quality of Darnold's pass-catching corps to begin the season, headlined by wideouts Justin Jefferson and Jordan Addison, the journeyman QB could be in the mix as a fantasy option in deeper leagues when Minnesota faces the Giants on the road in Week 1.
