Should I start Sam Darnold or Daniel Jones in Week 9?
Updated Nov 3, 3:36 AM ET. Week 10 answers post Tuesday.
Week 9 verdict
Start Sam Darnold over Daniel Jones
- Market projects
- 15.2
- recent weeks avg
- ARI D vs QB
- 22.7
- 3rd most to QBs (2026)
- Snap share
- 89%
- Through Week 7
- Market projects
- 12.9
- recent weeks avg
- DAL D vs QB
- 20.0
- 8th most to QBs (2026)
- Snap share
- 100%
- Through Week 8
Start Sam Darnold over Daniel Jones in Week 9: 15.2 to 12.9 PPR points a game over recent weeks. Darnold faces ARI, which allows the 3rd most fantasy points to QBs.
Should I drop Daniel Jones for Sam Darnold?
Not on these numbers alone. Daniel Jones projects 119 market-implied PPR points from Week 9 through Week 17 (14.9 a game over 8 games) and Sam Darnold 122 (15.3 a game over 8 games), too close to separate, so the roster spot decides it. For Week 9 the call starts Sam Darnold over Daniel Jones.
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Your next move
More fantasy football tools and rankings, all built from the same board.
Neither man carries a season projection right now, so this is their usage this season and their last full season's numbers, side by side.
QB10 · SEA · bye 11
2026 vs pass yds line 3-4
- Market-based projection
- 15.8 pts a game Wk 8 price
- Overall rank
- 15
QB20 · IND · bye 13
2026 vs pass yds line 3-5
- Market-based projection
- 11.2 pts a game Wk 8 price
- Overall rank
- 144
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The gap
- Board size297 draftable players
Draft data is not current for these two, so the figures that depend on it are left out. The call above comes from each player's usage.
Where the draft room stands
Live drafts hold no current pick on Sam Darnold, and the board ranks him 15th overall on the rest of his evidence.
In 2QB drafts he goes at ADP 26.
Live drafts hold no current pick on Daniel Jones, and the board ranks him 144th overall on the rest of his evidence.
In 2QB drafts he goes at ADP 34.
The market-based projections
No season market is posted for Sam Darnold, so the only market valuing him on this page is the draft room.
The market-based projection for Daniel Jones is 1.1 PPR points a game off 1 market across 1 market source. That is 0 percent of what a quarterback's projection needs, so it is a fragment of one rather than a projection.
This season so far
Through Week 7, Sam Darnold has been on the field for 89 percent of SEA snaps, dropped back 196 times and thrown 7.0 air yards an attempt.
He has been sacked or hit on 39 of 196 dropbacks and scrambled 7 times.
In Week 5 against SF he completed 18 of 29 passes for 195 yards, threw 1 touchdown and 2 interceptions and ran 1 time for 5 yards.
In Week 6 against DEN he completed 27 of 49 passes for 278 yards, threw 0 touchdowns and 2 interceptions and ran 2 times for 19 yards.
In Week 7 against KC he completed 20 of 28 passes for 257 yards, threw 1 touchdown and 1 interception and ran 2 times for 17 yards.
Through Week 8, Daniel Jones has been on the field for 100 percent of IND snaps, dropped back 299 times and thrown 7.5 air yards an attempt.
He has been sacked or hit on 56 of 299 dropbacks and scrambled 10 times.
In Week 6 against TEN he completed 22 of 41 passes for 269 yards, threw 1 touchdown and 2 interceptions and ran 3 times for 30 yards.
In Week 7 against MIN he completed 13 of 22 passes for 108 yards, threw 0 touchdowns and 1 interception and ran 4 times for 13 yards.
In Week 8 against JAX he completed 19 of 28 passes for 144 yards, threw 1 touchdown and 2 interceptions and ran 3 times for 8 yards.
Their 2025 seasons
In 2025 Sam Darnold played 17 games and scored 249.4 PPR points, 14.7 a game, finishing QB13.
He threw for 4048 yards on 477 attempts with 25 touchdowns and 14 interceptions, and ran for 95 yards and 0 touchdowns.
That came to 28.1 attempts a game at 9 yards an attempt.
He was on the field for 96 percent of the snaps in the games he played.
In 2025 Daniel Jones played 13 games and scored 234.4 PPR points, 18.0 a game, finishing QB17.
He threw for 3101 yards on 384 attempts with 19 touchdowns and 8 interceptions, and ran for 164 yards and 5 touchdowns.
That came to 29-30 attempts a game at 8.1 yards an attempt.
He was on the field for 91 percent of the snaps in the games he played.
Sam Darnold was available for 4 games more.
Head to head
In 2025 Daniel Jones scored 18.0 PPR points a game and Sam Darnold 14.7, 3.4 a game between them.
Sam Darnold finished QB13 that year and Daniel Jones QB17.
Sam Darnold had 93 more pass attempts than Daniel Jones, 477 to 384.
Sam Darnold had 947 more passing yards than Daniel Jones, 4048 to 3101.
This season Daniel Jones holds the bigger snap share, 100 percent against 89 percent.
Their target share this season is the same, 0 percent each.
Byes and availability
Sam Darnold is off in Week 11 and Daniel Jones in Week 13, so either can cover the other's bye.
Drop or keep
Should I drop Daniel Jones for Sam Darnold?
Not on these numbers alone. Daniel Jones projects 119 market-implied PPR points from Week 9 through Week 17 (14.9 a game over 8 games) and Sam Darnold 122 (15.3 a game over 8 games), too close to separate, so the roster spot decides it. For Week 9 the call starts Sam Darnold over Daniel Jones.
Should I drop Sam Darnold for Daniel Jones?
Not on these numbers alone. Sam Darnold projects 122 market-implied PPR points from Week 9 through Week 17 (15.3 a game over 8 games) and Daniel Jones 119 (14.9 a game over 8 games), too close to separate, so the roster spot decides it. For Week 9 the call starts Sam Darnold over Daniel Jones.
Both players in full
Week 9 on the board
- Is Sam Darnold playing Week 9?
- Is Daniel Jones playing Week 9?
- Seahawks depth chart
- Colts depth chart
- Week 9 QB rankings
- Week 9 fantasy rankings
- Week 9 start or sit
- Week 9 waiver wire
- Week 9 trade value chart
- Trade deadline buy low, sell high
- Fantasy football rankings
- Start 'em sit 'em Week 9
- Waiver wire pickups
- Fantasy sleepers
- Rest of season rankings
- Week 9 kicker rankings
- Week 9 defense rankings
