Koerner advised tacking Sam Darnold onto rosters that already feature Justin Jefferson and Jordan Addison. With Kirk Cousins gone, Darnold could start and preserve—if not elevate—the Vikings’ passing efficiency at a fraction of the draft cost. The move compounds upside through correlation: if Minnesota’s offense beats market expectations, Darnold’s late-round production lifts both star wideouts while giving the roster an extra quarterback path to weekly ceiling scores.

Andy Holloway warned managers not to chase Sam Darnold’s Minnesota flash when projecting him in Seattle. Darnold was propped up last year by Kevin O’Connell’s quarterback-friendly system, a top-10 offensive line and weapons like Justin Jefferson and T.J. Hockenson. He now inherits a unit PFF ranks 30th in pass blocking, has already lost DK Metcalf and Tyler Lockett, and will play for defensive-minded Mike Macdonald, who just fired a coordinator after a 10-win season. Seattle allowed Geno Smith to be sacked 50 times, and Darnold’s worst career stretches have come under constant pressure—his infamous “seeing ghosts” season in New York featured the league’s 31st-ranked line. Holloway expects Seattle to skew run-heavy under Clint Kubiak and views Darnold as a low-end QB2 best left on waivers outside of superflex formats.

Hayden Winks argued that Sam Darnold belongs in every late-round quarterback platoon, calling bench-risk overblown. On tape review, Darnold ranked QB3 against pressure despite losing LT Christian Darrisaw and playing behind what Winks labeled a bottom-five interior line. He posted the league’s best deep-ball efficiency when holding the ball and still unleashed top-five arm strength throws regularly. The trade-off is volatility—six fumbles and multiple hero-ball interceptions when collapsing pockets forced him into 17-yard bombs. Even so, Winks thinks Clint Kubiak’s Shanahan-style quick game plus elite targets DK Metcalf, Tyler Lockett and Jaxon Smith-Njigba will hide the worst impulses. Because Darnold is entering his physical prime and the Seahawks spent cap dollars rebuilding the interior, Winks projected a 4,100-yard, 28-TD line that outpaces his current QB28 redraft price. He advised best-ball drafters to pair Darnold with a high-floor scrambler and sprinkle over 3,750.5 passing yards if books hang that number.

Best Ball Guy highlighted Sam Darnold as the perfect ‘naked’ quarterback to close out an 18-round draft. Current simulations show three-QB builds outperforming public perception, yet Darnold still goes undrafted in half of BBM slows despite landing in a Shane Waldron system that coaxed a QB8 finish out of Geno Smith two years ago. BBG argued that snagging Darnold in the final round raises a roster’s weekly floor—especially on teams without a Colts or Jaguars passer—because even two or three spike weeks from Seattle’s vertical scheme could be the difference between advancing and busting. With no stacking requirement and virtually no opportunity cost at pick 216+, Darnold is an easy add when the draft board dries up.

Leone warned that Sam Darnold is a fragile bet in best-ball formats because the veteran could lose his starting job to Jalen Milroe before playoff weeks. While he loves stacking JSN with Seattle pieces, Leone noted that any quarterback who might not be under center in December is almost always a net negative in tournament structures. For that reason he expects to be underweight on Darnold across his portfolios, only taking him when a room-correlated build with Seahawks pass-catchers falls in his lap.

Steve Palazzolo suggested there may not be a massive fantasy drop-off moving from Geno Smith to Sam Darnold. He noted that Darnold’s 2023 campaign—backed by Kevin O’Connell’s scheme and Justin Jefferson—graded out statistically better than any of Geno’s past three seasons as a starter. While Palazzolo conceded Seattle now sits in the familiar "wait-and-see" mode that followed Geno’s first year as a full-time starter, he framed the quarterback change as potentially "lateral" rather than a clear downgrade. For season-long drafters looking to punt QB and stream upside, Palazzolo’s take positions Darnold as a late-round sleeper who could replicate Geno’s mid-QB2 production if Seattle’s supporting cast holds up.

Josh Norris said Sam Darnold is the cheapest way to bet on a Seahawks offense Vegas already pegs 13th in scoring. Norris views new OC Clint Kubiak as a clear upgrade over last year’s play-caller, noting Kubiak’s history of marrying wide-zone runs with heavy play-action. Seattle added first-rounder Gray Zusable (his pronunciation) on the interior and finally has both bookend tackles healthy, giving Darnold a better pocket than the league expects. On tape, Darnold posted career-best numbers under pressure, which Norris compared to Baker Mayfield’s Tampa resurgence—quiet summer buzz that turns into a QB16 finish instead of the consensus QB28 ranking. Factor in six shoot-out friendly divisional games (49ers, Rams, Cardinals all top-9 in implied points) and Norris believes Darnold’s raw drop-backs will exceed projections, making him a live late-round/second-QB stack with DK Metcalf or Tyler Lockett in best ball drafts.

Tyler Knaeble advocated grabbing Sam Darnold as a late-round third quarterback in large-field Best Ball tournaments. After seeing most rooms stop at two passers once they have names like Jalen Hurts and Tua Tagovailoa, Knaeble said a three-QB build "creases my ceiling, creases my floor," because a cheap starter gives both injury protection and another potential spike-week score during the playoff weeks. He stressed that any quarterback who is actually expected to play — Darnold in this case — can create a structural edge in advance rates without materially hurting roster capital elsewhere, making the 3-QB approach something he is "trying to build a lot of" across his entries.

Best Ball Guy said grabbing Sam Darnold after pick 200 is “pretty silly” because the veteran’s early schedule sets him up for immediate spike-weeks if he wins the 49ers starting job. He pointed out that Darnold opens against Indianapolis, the Rams and Carolina—three defenses he believes the Kyle Shanahan offense can shred—and reminded listeners that even a handful of QB8 finishes during that stretch would pay off the negligible cost in Best Ball Mania rooms. The host was comfortable rostering Darnold unstacked, arguing that San Francisco’s YAC monsters create efficient fantasy production regardless of which pass-catcher you paired. In his view, the combination of a loaded supporting cast and a near-free ADP makes Darnold the perfect third-quarterback “out” when earlier stacking plans implode.

Davis Mattek said Sam Darnold is worth a late-round stab in best-ball drafts because, in his words, "no quarterback can fail with Kevin O’Connell." Mattek admitted Darnold has always struggled to process the game quickly, yet emphasized that O’Connell continually schemes easy first reads that let even limited passers play on time. With Justin Jefferson, Jordan Addison and T.J. Hockenson already in place, Mattek believes any quarterback seeing starts for Minnesota will post usable fantasy weeks. He framed Darnold as cheap insurance for drafters who load up on high-priced, early-round Vikings skill players and want a correlated QB3 without spending real draft capital.

Emory Hunt leaned to the OVER 20.5 passing touchdowns for Sam Darnold, arguing Seattle's roster sets him up for efficient scoring off play-action. Hunt highlighted offseason upgrades to the interior line (rookie Gray Zabel) and a three-headed backfield of Kenneth Walker, Zach Charbonnet and rookie Damian Martinez that should re-establish Pete Carroll’s old run-game/defense identity. With lighter boxes and fewer 35-attempt games, Hunt thinks Darnold can stay on script, minimize turnovers and still surpass 20 TDs in what he called a "very low" modern threshold.

Alex Selznick said the 20.5 passing-touchdown prop for Sam Darnold is too ambitious and advised betting the under at ‑110. Last season was the first time Darnold topped 20 TDs, and that came in a perfect Minnesota setup featuring Kevin O'Connell's QB-friendly offense, elite protection and healthier skill talent. Selznick called Seattle a downgrade across the board: DK Metcalf is out, the line is shakier and he expects Pete Carroll to revert to a ground-heavy approach with Kenneth Walker and Zach Charbonnet. Darnold has never played more than 13 games in a season besides 2023; if that pattern repeats, he would need to average 1.6 TDs per start to clear the number—something Selznick views as unlikely.

Billy Jones said Sam Darnold is the best pure value among the late-round quarterbacks because Seattle’s fully-guaranteed one-year contract all but locks him in as the Week-1 starter. Darnold is still available in the last two rounds, which lets drafters tack on a third QB without sacrificing skill-player equity. Jones reminded listeners that the Seahawks threw on 62% of neutral downs last year and still employ DK Metcalf, Jaxon Smith-Njigba, and Tyler Lockett—plenty of weaponry for spike weeks. Even if rookie competition arrives in November, Jones expects 10–12 early starts at 16-to-18 fantasy-points per game, making Darnold “a free insurance policy for teams that punted QB early.”

Billy Jones said Sam Darnold is mis-priced in the 180s of BBM6 drafts and should be going 10-15 spots earlier. Jones dismissed the popular "bench-risk" narrative by noting Seattle’s front office actually chose Darnold—unlike Denver inheriting Russell Wilson—then handed him the same fully-guaranteed, two-year deal they gave Geno Smith before three straight seasons of uninterrupted starts. The only rookie on the depth chart is Jalen Milroe, whom Jones called "rawer than raw" and not ready to play; if Darnold falters, Drew Lock would get first crack, not Milroe. That contractual commitment plus a lack of real competition makes Darnold a near-lock to open the season as QB1, turning his 17th-round price into free exposure to Ryan Grubb’s uptempo, vertical scheme that ranked top-3 in college pass rate over expected. In a format that rewards low-cost spike weeks, Jones advised scooping Darnold anywhere after pick 170.

Davis Mattek urged drafters to temper expectations for Sam Darnold after seeing the injury-guarantee language in his Seahawks deal. Mattek argued that a contract structured to void if Darnold fails a physical screams ‘escape hatch’ and indicates Seattle is already looking for reasons to pivot. He believes Tyler Shough is the front-runner to start before Thanksgiving and even gave a ‘very small but non-zero’ chance to Spencer Rattler. With that level of uncertainty, Mattek prefers adding Darnold only in three-QB best-ball builds tied to Week-17 correlation rather than banking on him as a reliable QB2.

Pat Fantasy Dog Pound argued that Sam Darnold is going far too late in Eliminator drafts, saying any QB-needy roster should be willing to grab him as early as pick 155. In his view, Darnold’s combination of an inexpensive price tag and plausible path to early-season starts makes him a premium QB3 who can plug the inevitable bye-week holes on three-quarterback builds. Because veteran pocket passers shoot up roughly 10 spots in Eliminator compared to Best Ball Mania, Pat thinks the market will correct and that scooping Darnold 15-20 picks ahead of current ADP is still profitable. He regretted passing on the veteran at 165 in one of his own drafts and plans to be more aggressive going forward.

Danny Kanell warned fantasy managers to fade Sam Darnold in Seattle, calling 2024 a likely step-back season. He noted Minnesota’s willingness to let Darnold walk despite an MVP-caliber 2023, then highlighted the downgrade in weapons: no Justin Jefferson, a banged-up 31-year-old Cooper Kupp, DK Metcalf battling durability issues, and Marquez Valdes-Scantling plus Jaxon Smith-Njigba as unproven outside targets. Seattle also lacks a reliable run game, and Geno Smith’s efficiency will be hard to replicate. Kanell interpreted the Vikings’ decision to pass on paying Darnold as a red flag and labeled the move a classic ‘buyer beware’ for the Seahawks. Actionable takeaway: avoid Darnold in season-long drafts and consider unders on his passing props.

Pat Fantasy Dog Pound said he is fading Sam Darnold entirely in Best Ball Mania because he is convinced the veteran will not finish the season as Seattle’s starter. Pat pointed to the injury-guarantee clause in Darnold’s deal that would force the Seahawks to pay the entire salary if Darnold gets hurt, noting teams have shown they will eat league fines to keep an at-risk quarterback off the field – he cited last year’s benchings of Daniel Jones and Russell Wilson as precedent. Pat expects Seattle to be sitting at something like 4-11 in December, at which point the staff (likely already on the hot seat) will protect itself by shelving Darnold and giving rookie Jalen Milroe a late-season audition. The bottom line for Pat: any ADP that prices in a full 17-game starter is dead money; let someone else draft the potential Week-1 placeholder and use the pick on a player who can actually help during the playoff weeks.

Steve Palazzolo said Sam Darnold could take a meaningful fantasy step forward now that Minnesota has completed its interior-line overhaul. The Vikings used pick 24 on guard Donovan Jackson and spent free-agency money on Ryan Kelly (center) and Will Fries (right guard), pairing them with the already elite tackle tandem of Christian Darrisaw and Brian O’Neill. Palazzolo noted Darnold’s late-season struggles were heavily pressure-related and believes this "complete set" of five competent linemen will slash the interior heat he sees, cut down on sacks, and keep drives alive. That cleaner pocket makes Darnold an intriguing late-round flier in best-ball and superflex redraft formats.

Danny Kanell said fantasy gamers should treat Sam Darnold as a trap QB2. Kanell noted Darnold’s lone breakout season came in Kevin O’Connell’s ultra-QB-friendly Minnesota scheme that featured Justin Jefferson, Jordan Addison and T.J. Hockenson. Seattle just shipped out D.K. Metcalf and swapped Geno Smith for the 27-year-old Darnold, leaving the new signal-caller with a 32-year-old Cooper Kupp, two slot-style receivers and a rookie tight end. Kanell does not believe Darnold can replicate last year’s 7.9 YPA or 3.4% completion-over-expected without elite weaponry and views the three-year, $100 million deal as an anchor on the roster. He recommended passing on Darnold in season-long drafts and fading any early “comeback player” props that open on the market.