Sam Darnold

Sam Darnold - Week 6 Outlook for Fantasy Football

Carolina Panthers quarterback Sam Darnold is a QB2 option, at best, in Week 6 against the Vikings. Darnold started off the season hot but has cooled down in the last couple of weeks, throwing three touchdowns to five picks. Last week, he threw for a season-low 177 yards. The QB was never the most consistent player with the Jets, and signs of that are starting to appear with Carolina. The Vikings are stiff against fantasy quarterbacks, so Darnold is a fringe starting option, at best.

Oct 15 · Source via

Sam Darnold Throws Three Interceptions In Loss To Eagles

Carolina Panthers quarterback Sam Darnold had a rough game in Sunday's loss to the Eagles. Darnold did throw a touchdown pass but fired three interceptions and threw for just 177 yards, averaging a measly 4.8 yards per attempt. The 24-year-old was under pressure from the Eagles defense but still couldn't get things going, even with a clean pocket. Darnold deserves some slack, as he was performing like a solid QB1 through the first four weeks of the season, scoring fantasy points with his arm and legs. He'll have a good chance of getting back on track in Week 6 against a beatable Vikings secondary.

Oct 10 · Source via

Sam Darnold Should Keep Rolling Against Eagles

Carolina Panthers quarterback Sam Darnold has a good chance to keep rolling against the Eagles in Week 5. Darnold has been excellent through four weeks, as he has thrown for 1,189 yards with five passing touchdowns and five rushing scores while leading the Panthers to a 3-1 record. The former Jet will face an Eagles defense fresh off of allowing five touchdown passes to Patrick Mahomes, though Philadelphia's unit has been solid against the pass besides that game. However, Darnold's ability with his legs should allow him to do enough to post high-end QB2/low-end QB1 numbers once again.

Oct 8 · Source via

Sam Darnold A High-End QB2 Against Cowboys

Carolina Panthers quarterback Sam Darnold is a solid starting option against the Dallas Cowboys in Week 4. Darnold has been terrific to start 2021, posting at least 300 yards in two of three games while having six total touchdowns to one pick. The QB is showing more explosiveness and reliability than he ever did with the Jets. The Cowboys are in the top-10 in terms of points allowed to fantasy QBs, making Darnold a great starting option.

Sep 29 · Source via

Sam Darnold Throws For 304 Yards, Scores Two Rushing Touchdowns

Carolina Panthers quarterback Sam Darnold completed 23 of 34 passes for 304 yards with two rushing touchdowns in Thursday's win over the Texans. Darnold failed to throw a touchdown pass for the first time this season but exceeded the 300-yard passing mark for the second consecutive contest- which ties his career-high for a season- averaging a season-high 8.9 yards per attempt. The former Jet has looked good away from New York so far, accounting for 888 passing yards and six total scores, three through the air and three on the ground while completing 68.2 percent of his throws. Darnold looks like a strong QB2 with upside in a potential shootout next week with the Cowboys.

Sep 23 · Source via

Sam Darnold Should Excel Against Texans

Carolina Panthers quarterback Sam Darnold draws a favorable matchup against the Texans in Week 3. Darnold has gotten off to a good start in Carolina, throwing for at least 270 passing yards and scoring two total touchdowns in each of his first two games as a Panther. The former Jet will face a Texans defense that allowed the highest completion percentage and the ninth-most passing yards to opposing signal-callers last season. Darnold should continue to enjoy utilizing the many pass-catchers at his disposal in Carolina against a very exploitable Texans pass defense on Thursday night. He should be looked at as a solid QB2 with upside for more in Week 3.

Sep 22 · Source via

Sam Darnold Tosses For 305 Yards

Carolina Panthers quarterback Sam Darnold went 26-for-38 for 305 yards, two touchdowns, and one interception in Sunday's win over the Saints. Darnold once again put up a stellar performance and has played quite well in two games with Carolina this season. The QB has played generally turnover-free ball and has quite a few solid weapons to toss the ball to. While Darnold is not yet an elite fantasy starter, he could certainly be in the streaming conversation most weeks depending on the matchup. He has a short turnaround as the Panthers play on Thursday up next, but the inviting matchup against Houston makes him an intriguing streaming candidate.

Sep 19 · Source via

Sam Darnold Faces Tough Matchup Against Saints

Carolina Panthers quarterback Sam Darnold is not a strong start this week against the Saints. The former Jet fared well against his old team last week, posting 279 yards and a touchdown. Nevertheless, this week he faces a New Orleans defense that held last year's MVP Aaron Rodgers and his team to a measly three points while the QB arguably put up the worst performance of his career in the 38-3 drubbing. After Week 1, the Saints allowed the fewest fantasy points to quarterbacks. There are better options to start this week than Darnold.

Sep 17 · Source via

Sam Darnold Accounts For Two Touchdowns In Win

Carolina Panthers quarterback Sam Darnold completed 24 of 35 passes for 279 yards and a touchdown while adding a rushing score in a 19-14 Week 1 win over the Jets. Darnold got some measure of revenge against his former team, leading four scoring drives, two of which he capped off with touchdowns of his own, a 57-yard deep ball to Robby Anderson and a five-yard rushing score. The 24-year-old got off to a hot start but slowed down in the second half, though it was a good start to his Panthers career overall. Darnold will get a tough Week 2 matchup against a Saints defense that allowed the sixth-fewest fantasy points to quarterbacks in 2020. He'll be a risky QB2 for that matchup.

Sep 12 · Source via

Sam Darnold Poised For Revenge Against Jets

Carolina Panthers quarterback Sam Darnold gets a juicy matchup against his former team, the New York Jets, in Week 1 of the 2021 season. After spending the first three years of his career in a less-than-stellar environment in New York, Darnold will have the chance to show the Jets what could have been with improved weapons around him and an innovative offensive coordinator in his ear. Revenge narrative aside, the matchup itself is excellent, as the Jets defense ranked 28th in pass DVOA while allowing the third-most passing touchdowns and the eighth-highest yards per attempt in 2020. Darnold is capable of posting solid QB2 numbers against the Jets secondary. He should be looked at as a cheap DFS option or second signal-caller in 2QB formats.

Sep 7 · Source via

Panthers Set Initial 53-Man Roster

Sam Darnold Fires Two Touchdown Passes In Friday's Win

Carolina Panthers quarterback Sam Darnold excelled in Friday's win over the Steelers, his first start of the preseason. Darnold completed 19 of 25 passes for 162 yards, two touchdowns, and no interceptions, spreading the ball around to eight different receivers. The former Jet connected with old friend Robby Anderson for one score and rookie wideout Terrace Marshall Jr. for the other. It's worth noting that Darnold was facing Pittsburgh's second and third-stringers on defense, though it doesn't take away from the efficiency of his performance. 12 of his completions were between zero and nine yards, as he looked to the underneath routes often, leading to a 76 percent completion rate. It's never a good idea to overreact to the preseason, but it's fair to say that Darnold looked as good or better during Friday's action than the vast majority of the games he played in New York. He looks like a solid late-round signal-caller to target in drafts.

Aug 28 · Source via

Sam Darnold To Face Tough Test Against Steelers Friday

Carolina Panthers quarterback Sam Darnold will be seeing his first extended preseason action on Friday night against a tough Steelers defense. Darnold will play about a half of football against one of the league's better defenses from last season, the Steelers, though Pittsburgh is expected to rest most of its starters for the contest, making the matchup a bit easier. Head coach Matt Rhule said he feels he'll still get a "good evaluation" of his signal-caller, even against some of the Steelers' backups. While he'll be without perhaps his safety net in All-Pro back Christian McCaffrey, Friday's game will allow Darnold to show what he can do with a new offensive mind in his ear and improved weapons in tow. While there will be some growing pains for Darnold, a solid performance could be on the way Friday night, which would only boost his fantasy stock heading into the heart of draft season.

Aug 27 · Source via

Sam Darnold To See Significant Playing Time Friday

Carolina Panthers quarterback Sam Darnold will see significant playing time in Friday's final preseason game against the Steelers. Darnold hasn't gotten much run in the preseason so far, completing just 1 of 2 passes for 16 yards, with all of that production coming in the second contest, though the former Jet will be on the field for about a half on Friday night, per Alaina Getzenberg. The 24-year-old has reportedly impressed at camp, though Friday will mark his first chance to show what he can do in offensive coordinator Joe Brady's system against a live defense. A good showing will only add to Darnold's appeal as a sleeper at the quarterback position in fantasy football.

Aug 26 · Source via

Sam Darnold Won't Suit Up Sunday

Carolina Panthers quarterback Sam Darnold won't play in Sunday's preseason opener, per Joe Person of The Athletic. Head coach Matt Rhule seems to be making Darnold's health a priority, noted by beat writer Joe Person, as the former Jet took live reps against the Colts Friday while wearing the red jersey, indicating he wasn't to be tackled. Rhule added that he doesn't want Darnold suiting up in the preseason until he's playing with a full complement of starters, which he indicated wouldn't be until the third week of the preseason. Darnold has had some duds at practice but had a solid day Friday, completing 4 of 6 passes during a two-minute drill. He seems to be enjoying the new group of pass-catchers he'll be throwing to in Carolina, which could lead to a solid season from the fourth-year pro. He's a late-round sleeper for fantasy managers who like to wait to select their signal-caller.

Aug 13 · Source via

Sam Darnold Sharp At Camp Wednesday

Carolina Panthers quarterback Sam Darnold rebounded to have a strong day of practice Wednesday. Darnold struggled during a mistake-filled session on Monday but was on fire during Wednesday's team drills, firing three touchdown passes, one each to Christian McCaffrey, D.J. Moore, and Robby Anderson. Each of his scores came in the red zone, an encouraging development considering that Darnold has posted the league's worst passer rating in such situations since 2018. The former third overall pick has been a fantasy afterthought for the first three years of his career, though he might finally have the weapons in place in Carolina to put together QB2 numbers- or better. He's an intriguing choice for those who opt to wait on their second signal-caller in 2QB formats.

Aug 4 · Source via

Sam Darnold Could Thrive In New Environment

Carolina Panthers quarterback Sam Darnold could put together his best season as a pro in his new environment away from the Jets. Darnold didn't exactly prove that he was worthy of being the third overall pick in three seasons in New York, never exceeding 3000 passing yards, 20 touchdowns, or a 61 percent completion rate. Still, Darnold will go from having a poor coach situation and lack of weapons to the best situation he's ever had, which could help him reach untapped potential. He'll have an improved set of weapons in rising star D.J. Moore, old friend Robby Anderson, and All-Pro running back Christian McCaffrey while working with offensive coordinator Joe Brady, who helped Teddy Bridgewater post solid numbers for Carolina in 2020. Darnold makes for a fine second quarterback in Superflex formats and two-quarterback leagues at his 220 ADP.

Jul 21 · Source via