Darnold has been one of the darling stories of the season so far as the starter for the Vikings, who are 2-0. He's averaging 21.3 Fantasy points per game against the Giants and 49ers, and we'll see if he can stay hot against the Texans. But I don't love this matchup for Darnold, and he's only worth starting in Superflex and two-quarterback leagues. This Houston defense is nasty and just sacked Caleb Williams seven times in Week 2, and this should be Darnold's worst game of the season, which means I expect him to score fewer than 18 Fantasy points in Week 3.
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Vikings' Sam Darnold: Week 3 Waiver Priority List
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Darnold has looked great in two games against the Giants and 49ers with at least 18.6 Fantasy points in each outing, and playing for the Vikings so far appears to be a good fit. As long as Justin Jefferson (quad) is OK, Darnold has some long-term appeal, even in one-quarterback leagues. I don't love him in Week 3 against Houston, but Darnold should be added for up to 5 percent of your remaining FAB.
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Vikings' Sam Darnold: Leads upset win shorthanded
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Darnold completed 17 of 26 passes for 268 yards with two touchdowns and one interception and added five carries for 32 yards in the Vikings' 23-17 win over the 49ers on Sunday. He also committed two fumbles, recovering one.
Darnold wasn't quite as efficient as he'd been during a Week 1 win over the Giants in which he misfired on only five pass attempts, but considering he was missing Jordan Addison (ankle) from the onset of the game and then lost Justin Jefferson (quadriceps) late in the third quarter, the veteran signal-caller was effective overall. Well before the latter's exit from the game, however, the duo connected for a 97-yard touchdown pass that served as the highlight of the afternoon, and essentially, the difference in the game. Darnold did take his lumps against an aggressive 49ers defense that sacked him three times and hit him on an additional three occasions, jarring the ball loose twice. While Darnold and the Vikings were still able to escape with a high-quality victory, they will be hard-pressed to duplicate their success in a Week 3 home matchup against the Texans if neither Jefferson nor Addison are available for that contest.
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Vikings' Sam Darnold: One To Stash (QB Preview)
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Darnold looked above average in Week 1, but it's hard to judge his performance because the Giants secondary is one of the worst in the league. If he looks competent in Week 2 against the 49ers, then we will have to at least consider the possibility that he's going to be a borderline starter in Fantasy this season.
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Vikings' Sam Darnold: Week 2 Waiver Priority List
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Darnold looked OK in Week 1 at the Giants in his first start for the Vikings with 18.6 Fantasy points. We'll see how he does in Week 2 against San Francisco, but playing in Kevin O'Connell's offense with Justin Jefferson could be exactly what Darnold needs to turn his career around. In deeper leagues, Darnold could be worth stashing for 1 percent of your remaining FAB.
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Vikings' Sam Darnold: Nearly perfect in team debut
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Darnold completed 19 of 24 passes for 208 yards with two touchdowns and one interception in the Vikings' 28-6 win over the Giants on Sunday. He also rushed three times for three yards.
Returning to a MetLife Stadium field that was often a proverbial house of horrors for him during a difficult early career stint with the Jets, Darnold looked like a quarterback out for redemption over the course of a stellar Vikings debut. The veteran signal-caller connected with Justin Jefferson (three yards) and Jalen Nailor (21 yards) for his two touchdown passes, and his 12 consecutive completions to open the game tied franchise legend Fran Tarkenton's record in that category. Darnold had the perfect game environment to ease into his new role thanks in part to a dominant defensive performance by Minnesota, but the going figures to be a lot tougher in a Week 2 home showdown against the 49ers.
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Vikings' Sam Darnold: Sleeper QBs
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Darnold could be a good option in Superflex and two-quarterback leagues this week against the Giants, who should be vulnerable in the secondary this season. We know Darnold should pepper Justin Jefferson with targets, and Jordan Addison and Aaron Jones out of the backfield will make plays as well. I like Darnold as a DFS play this week, but in Superflex and two-quarterback formats, he could be a nice surprise given the matchup.
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Vikings' Sam Darnold: Adds/Streamers (QB Preview)
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Darnold is only a start in two-QB leagues, but I do prefer him over Herbert, Derek Carr, and Russell Wilson this week. The Giants have arguably the worst secondary in the league and Darnold has Justin Jefferson. That should get him to 17 Fantasy points, which is more than I can count on from the guys listed above in Week 1.
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Vikings' Sam Darnold: Won't start Saturday
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Coach Kevin O'Connell relayed Thursday that that Darnold's teammate Jaren Hall will start Saturday's preseason finale against the Eagles.
O'Connell added that Matt Corral is likely to see snaps after Hall on Saturday, with Darnold's next start thus slated to occur Week 1 against the Giants on Sunday, Sept. 8. The veteran QB is slated to open the regular season as Minnesota's top signal-caller, with first-round rookie J.J. McCarthy having landed on IR last week due to a knee injury.
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Vikings' Sam Darnold: Positioned as starter for 2024
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Darnold is poised to start the Vikings' Sept. 8 season opener versus the Giants and could remain atop the depth chart at quarterback for the entire 2024 campaign after 10th overall pick J.J. McCarthy (knee) underwent season-ending meniscus surgery Wednesday, Kevin Seifert of ESPN.com reports.
Darnold will continue dominating first-team reps while Nick Mullens moves up to the No. 2 role. The team may also consider signing another quarterback, but if Darnold is able to competently command the offense, he now has a clear path to a season-long starting gig. While he's mostly struggled throughout his career and has never played more than 13 games in a season, Darnold will have a strong supporting cast at his disposal in Minnesota. Justin Jefferson is arguably the best receiver in the league, Jordan Addison (ankle) is primed to build upon a 911-yard, 10-touchdown rookie campaign, and tight end T.J. Hockenson (knee) should eventually provide the quarterback with a third talented pass-catching option. However, the Vikings offense could be somewhat limited if Addison is suspended for his offseason DUI arrest and/or Hockenson's recovery from an ACL tear stretches into the later portion of the regular season. Even with those concerns, it's a better situation than Darnold ever had during his time as a starter with the Jets and Panthers, making him a fantasy option for two-quarterback and superflex leagues, if nothing else.
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Vikings' Sam Darnold: Locked in as Week 1 starter
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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.
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Vikings' Sam Darnold: Set for Saturday's start
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Coach Kevin O'Connell said Thursday that Darnold will start Saturday's preseason game against the Raiders, and that rookie first-round pick J.J. McCarthy will also get "a significant amount of work," Ben Goessling of the Minneapolis Star Tribune reports.
Darnold is listed atop Minnesota's initial preseason depth chart, and he's taken the majority of first-team reps to this point in training camp, though McCarthy is expected to be increasingly worked in with the starting unit as things progress. As long as he can turn in some solid preseason showings, though, Darnold still seems in solid position to win the starting gig for the Week 1 regular-season opener against the Giants.
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Vikings' Sam Darnold: Commits to Vikings
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Darnold agreed to terms on a one-year, $10 million contract with the Vikings on Monday, Ian Rapoport of NFL Network reports.
Darnold spent the 2023 campaign as Brock Purdy's backup in San Francisco, but he now will join his former teammate and current Vikings quarterback coach Josh McCown in Minnesota. With Kirk Cousins en route to Atlanta, Darnold becomes the de facto No. 1 option under center with his new team. Darnold completed 16 of 26 passes for 189 yards and one touchdown while adding another 19 yards and a trip to the end zone on seven carries in his only start for the 49ers last season. It remains to be seen if Minnesota will draft or bring in competition for Darnold, as the journeyman signal-caller could be viewed either as a bridge to a younger quarterback or potential option for the future.
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49ers' Sam Darnold: Solid as backup in 2023
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Darnold completed 61 percent of his pass attempts for 297 yards, two touchdowns and one interception across 10 games (one start) with San Francisco in 2023.
Darnold spent the majority of the campaign backing up MVP candidate Brock Purdy, with the veteran's lone start coming in the last game of the regular season with many starters resting for the playoffs. The third overall pick from the 2018 Draft appeared to be more comfortable under center while playing in head coach Kyle Shanahan's system. Darnold's high draft pedigree and improved polish should produce several suitors for the unrestricted free agent this upcoming offseason.
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49ers' Sam Darnold: Scores twice in first start for SF
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Darnold completed 16 of 26 pass attempts for 189 yards and a touchdown while rushing seven times for 19 yards and another score in Sunday's 21-20 loss to the Rams. He also lost a fumble.
The 49ers decided to rest starting quarterback Brock Purdy along with a handful of other key players Sunday, affording Darnold the opportunity to make his first start as a member of the team. The third overall pick from the 2018 Draft looked more polished and decisive in the pocket, even showing off his arm strength on a couple of deep completions in the face of pressure. That brief showcase will help Darnold's efforts to seek a new contract this offseason as an unrestricted free agent. Until then, the 26-year-old will continue backing up Purdy for San Francisco's upcoming playoff run.
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49ers' Sam Darnold: Starting regular-season finale
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Head coach Kyle Shanahan confirmed Wednesday that Darnold will serve as the 49ers' starting quarterback for Sunday's regular-season finale versus the Rams, Matt Barrows of The Athletic reports.
The 49ers have already clinched the No. 1 seed in the NFC with a 12-4 record, so they will give starting quarterback Brock Purdy a breather before the playoffs. Star running back Christian McCaffrey (calf) has already been ruled out, and it's possible that Darnold won't have Brandon Aiyuk, Deebo Samuel or George Kittle at his disposal either against a Rams team that's also in rest mode prior to the postseason and will start Carson Wentz at quarterback.
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49ers' Sam Darnold: Mops up in blowout win
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Darnold carried once for minus-one yard while playing four of the 49ers' 59 snaps on offense in Sunday's 42-19 win over the Eagles.
Darnold looked like a candidate to get his first extended playing time of the season back in late October while Brock Purdy was in concussion protocol, but Purdy ended up being cleared ahead of the 49ers' Week 8 game against the Bengals and hasn't missed out on any starts ever since. As such, most of Darnold's opportunities are likely to come in mop-up scenarios such as this past Sunday, when he took the field for the 49ers' final possession with 2:07 remaining in the fourth quarter with the outcome already in hand. Over his six appearances off the bench this season, Darnold has completed two of three passes for seven yards.
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49ers' Sam Darnold: Could get Week 8 start
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Darnold may be in line to start Sunday's game against the Bengals after teammate Brock Purdy entered the concussion protocol earlier this week, Adam Schefter of ESPN reports.
While not officially ruled out, Purdy faces a challenge to clear the five-step protocol on a short week after sustaining the head injury during Monday's loss at Minnesota. Darnold has taken 18 snaps and attempted one pass so far this season, strictly subbing in for Purdy in the late stages of blowout wins. The 26-year-old last served as a starter for Carolina over the final six weeks of last season, a stretch in which he won four games and completed 58.6 percent of his passes for 8.2 yards per attempt while accounting for nine touchdowns (seven passing, two rushing) and five turnovers (three interceptions, two lost fumbles).
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49ers' Sam Darnold: Gets extended look Saturday
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Darnold completed 11 of 14 pass attempts for 109 yards, one touchdown and one interception in Saturday's preseason win over Denver.
Darnold entered the game after starter Brock Purdy (elbow) returned from injury and ran San Francisco's opening drive, coming in ahead of Trey Lance as planned. However, Darnold remained in the game after halftime to presumably make up for the drive lost to Purdy. When that drive was shortened by an interception that was no fault of his own, Darnold trotted back out to end his day on a positive note with a touchdown pass. Lance also had a touchdown pass and a pick Saturday, keeping the competition for the backup job in San Francisco a dead heat heading into the final week of the preseason.
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49ers' Sam Darnold: Getting a real shot in San Fran?
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Coach Kyle Shanahan said Thursday that Darnold, Brock Purdy (elbow) and Trey Lance are "all capable of being franchise-like quarterbacks," David Lombardi of The Athletic reports.
Shanahan mentioned Purdy's eight starts last year as an example of "franchise-like" play, also noting that Lance is the "best we've had him right now" (after some injury struggles) while Darnold "hasn't been in the best situations" prior to San Francisco. Comments from both Shanahan and John Lynch hint at Purdy being the favorite to start once he's healthy, but his ongoing rehab from UCL surgery leaves Lance and Darnold to compete for first-team reps this spring/summer, giving both opportunities to make an impression in one of the league's more fluid QB rooms. Darnold turns 26 in June and is signed to a one-year, $4.5 million contract that includes $3.5 million guaranteed.
