Sam Darnold Fantasy
- Height / Weight
- 6'3" / 225 lbs.
- Date of Birth (Age)
- June 5, 1997 (26)
- Experience
- 7th Season
- Drafted
- 2018 / Rd. 1 / Pk. 3 (NYJ)
- College
- USC
Season Logs
Game Logs
Sam Darnold News
Minnesota Vikings quarterback Sam Darnold could be named the team's Week 1 starter over first-round pick J.J. McCarthy. As Kevin Seifert of ESPN.com writes, "It's only a matter of time before McCarthy becomes the Vikings' starting quarterback [...] but it is not likely to happen as quickly as some fans might hope, and if anything, the Vikings are poised to err on the side of methodical caution." Such a scenario could see Minnesota let Darnold, whom they signed this past offseason when Kirk Cousins left for Atlanta, start a few games before transitioning to McCarthy. Darnold has struggled to support major fantasy production from his playmakers at previous stops, including the Jets and Panthers, so fantasy managers might want to temper expectations with players like Justin Jefferson, Jordan Addison, and T.J. Hockenson to start the year. Darnold himself falls to the low-end QB3 tier in fantasy football drafts.
Minnesota Vikings head coach Kevin O'Connell said that he's happy to have veteran quarterback Sam Darnold on the team this year. "I think his best football is ahead of him because of how he handled the last couple of years," O'Connell said. The Vikings head coach points out that he saw growth with Darnold's fundamentals as he worked as Brock Purdy's backup in San Francisco last year, and he's excited to get to work with him in Minnesota. The Vikings signed the former first-rounder to a one-year, $10 million deal this offseason, and depending on what the team does in the upcoming NFL draft, Darnold could open the year as the starter under center in Week 1. He'll have one of the best receivers in the game in Justin Jefferson to work with if he's starting, but Darnold will still be a midrange QB2, at best, in fantasy.
Free-agent quarterback Sam Darnold is expected to sign with the Minnesota Vikings when the new league year begins on Wednesday, according to NFL Insider Ian Rapoport. He will ink a one-year, $10 million deal. The Vikings just lost veteran franchise quarterback Kirk Cousins to the Atlanta Falcons, so Darnold could have the chance to earn a few starts in 2024. Minnesota could be eyeing a rookie quarterback in next month's NFL Draft, but Darnold could serve as a bridge quarterback as they ease a rookie into action. The former No. 3 overall pick by the New York Jets has thrown for 12,064 yards, 63 touchdowns, and 56 interceptions during his six-year NFL career. He was Brock Purdy's backup in San Francisco last season. Although he's not on the single-QB fantasy radar, he could be worth rostering in two-QB or Superflex leagues early next season.
Depth Chart
- Offense
- Defense
FS | Harrison Smith |
NT | Harrison Phillips |
RDE | Jaquelin Roy |
RILB | Ivan Pace Jr. |
Brian Asamoah II | |
ROLB | Pat Jones II |
Andre Carter II | |
LCB | Byron Murphy Jr. |
Mekhi Blackmon | |
SS | Camryn Bynum |
Theo Jackson | |
RCB | Akayleb Evans |
Andrew Booth Jr. | |
NB | Josh Metellus |
Jay Ward |
KR | Kene Nwangwu |
QB | Jaren Hall |
Nick Mullens | |
RB | Ty Chandler |
FB | C.J. Ham |
LWR | Justin Jefferson |
RWR | Jordan Addison |
SWR | Lucky Jackson |
TE | Josh Oliver |
LT | Christian Darrisaw |
Brian O'Neill | |
C | Garrett Bradbury |
RG | Ed Ingram |
Blake Brandel |
LS | Andrew DePaola |
P | Ryan Wright |