Should I start Sam Darnold or Josh Allen in Week 9?
Updated Nov 3, 3:36 AM ET. Week 10 answers post Tuesday.
Sam Darnold and Josh Allen are too close to call on usage: 100 percent of the snaps and 0 percent of the targets against 100 percent of the snaps and 0 percent of the targets over their last 3 games. No market projection is posted on either of them this week, so this is a usage call, and a lower confidence one than a call made on a projection. What follows is what each of them has done.
Should I drop Sam Darnold for Josh Allen?
Yes, on the rest of the season. Josh Allen projects 212 market-implied PPR points from Week 9 through Week 17 (23.5 a game over 9 games), Sam Darnold 122 (15.3 a game over 8 games).
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Your next move
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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
QB11 · BUF · bye 7
2026 vs anytime td line 8-2
- Market-based projection
- 24.3 pts a game Wk 8 price
- Overall rank
- 50
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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 Josh Allen, and the board ranks him 50th overall on the rest of his evidence.
In 2QB drafts he goes at ADP 2.
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 Josh Allen is 5.4 PPR points a game off 1 market across 5 market sources. 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, Josh Allen has been on the field for 100 percent of BUF snaps, dropped back 237 times and thrown 9.0 air yards an attempt.
He has been sacked or hit on 32 of 237 dropbacks and scrambled 19 times.
In Week 5 against LAR he completed 12 of 19 passes for 210 yards, threw 1 touchdown and 1 interception and ran 10 times for 121 yards.
In Week 6 against LV he completed 23 of 33 passes for 255 yards, threw 2 touchdowns and 0 interceptions and ran 2 times for 4 yards.
In Week 8 against BAL he completed 21 of 34 passes for 289 yards, threw 2 touchdowns and 1 interception and ran 7 times for 30 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 Josh Allen played 17 games and scored 374.6 PPR points, 22.0 a game, finishing QB1.
He threw for 3668 yards on 460 attempts with 25 touchdowns and 10 interceptions, and ran for 579 yards and 14 touchdowns.
That came to 27.1 attempts a game at 8.0 yards an attempt.
He was on the field for 98 percent of the snaps in the games he played.
Both were available for 17 games that season.
Head to head
In 2025 Josh Allen scored 22.0 PPR points a game and Sam Darnold 14.7, 7.4 a game between them.
Sam Darnold finished QB13 that year and Josh Allen QB1.
Sam Darnold had 17 more pass attempts than Josh Allen, 477 to 460.
Sam Darnold had 380 more passing yards than Josh Allen, 4048 to 3668.
This season Josh Allen holds the bigger snap share, 100 percent against 89 percent.
This season Josh Allen holds the bigger target share, 1 percent against 0 percent.
Byes and availability
Sam Darnold is off in Week 11 and Josh Allen in Week 7, so either can cover the other's bye.
Drop or keep
Should I drop Sam Darnold for Josh Allen?
Yes, on the rest of the season. Josh Allen projects 212 market-implied PPR points from Week 9 through Week 17 (23.5 a game over 9 games), Sam Darnold 122 (15.3 a game over 8 games).
Should I drop Josh Allen for Sam Darnold?
No. Keep Josh Allen: he projects 212 market-implied PPR points from Week 9 through Week 17 (23.5 a game over 9 games), Sam Darnold 122 (15.3 a game over 8 games).
Both players in full
Week 9 on the board
- Is Sam Darnold playing Week 9?
- Is Josh Allen playing Week 9?
- Seahawks depth chart
- Bills 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
