Should I start Sam Darnold or Michael Penix Jr. in Week 10?
Updated Nov 10, 2:26 PM ET. Week 11 answers post Tuesday.
Latest
Week 10 verdict
Start Michael Penix Jr. over Sam Darnold
Sam Darnold is listed out, so Michael Penix Jr. starts despite the lower projection.
- Market projects
- 15.0
- recent weeks avg
- KC D vs QB
- 13.9
- 7th fewest to QBs (2026)
- Snap share
- 99%
- Through Week 9
- Market projects
- 15.4
- recent weeks avg
- LV D vs QB
- 20.6
- 5th most to QBs (2026)
- Snap share
- 90%
- Through Week 8
Start Michael Penix Jr. over Sam Darnold in Week 10. Sam Darnold is listed out, so Michael Penix Jr. starts despite the lower projection. Darnold is listed out.
Should I drop Michael Penix Jr. for Sam Darnold?
Not on these numbers alone. Michael Penix Jr. projects 103 market-implied PPR points from Week 10 through Week 17 (14.7 a game over 7 games) and Sam Darnold 106 (15.1 a game over 7 games), too close to separate, so the roster spot decides it. For Week 10 the call starts Michael Penix Jr. over Sam Darnold. Sam Darnold is listed out.
Parlae may earn a commission from price links.
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.
QB24 · SEA · bye 11
2026 vs pass yds line 3-4
- Market-based projection
- 14.7 pts a game Wk 9 price
- Overall rank
- 178
QB27 · ATL · bye 11
2026 vs pass yds line 2-5
- Market-based projection
- 15.0 pts a game Wk 9 price
- Overall rank
- 188
Make this call for your own roster
Sync your league and My Team sets this week's lineup for your actual roster, spot by spot. Free, no account.
Or get it by email
Tuesday 7am ET: one email with what moved on the board and who is worth a claim.
Free. One a week, one tap to stop.
The gap
- Board size307 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 178th overall on the rest of his evidence.
In 2QB drafts he goes at ADP 26.
Live drafts hold no current pick on Michael Penix Jr., and the board ranks him 188th overall on the rest of his evidence.
The market-based projections
The market-based projection for Sam Darnold is 0.7 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.
The market has Michael Penix Jr. at 0.5 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.
Sam Darnold's projection is not complete, so the two figures are not set against each other here.
This season so far
Through Week 8, Sam Darnold has been on the field for 90 percent of SEA snaps, dropped back 235 times and thrown 6.9 air yards an attempt.
He has been sacked or hit on 45 of 235 dropbacks and scrambled 9 times.
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.
In Week 8 against CHI he completed 17 of 34 passes for 188 yards, threw 2 touchdowns and 1 interception and ran 2 times for 20 yards.
Through Week 9, Michael Penix Jr. has been on the field for 99 percent of ATL snaps, dropped back 93 times and thrown 7.1 air yards an attempt.
He has been sacked or hit on 0 of 93 dropbacks and scrambled 5 times.
In Week 7 against SF he completed 25 of 33 passes for 213 yards, threw 3 touchdowns and 0 interceptions and ran 2 times for 2 yards.
In Week 8 against TB he completed 8 of 24 passes for 125 yards, threw 0 touchdowns and 4 interceptions and ran 5 times for 11 yards.
In Week 9 against CIN he completed 20 of 31 passes for 162 yards, threw 1 touchdown and 1 interception and ran 3 times for 50 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 Michael Penix Jr. played 9 games and scored 123.3 PPR points, 13.7 a game, finishing QB33.
He threw for 1982 yards on 276 attempts with 9 touchdowns and 3 interceptions, and ran for 70 yards and 1 touchdown.
That came to 30.7 attempts a game at 7.2 yards an attempt.
He was on the field for 93 percent of the snaps in the games he played.
Sam Darnold was available for 8 games more.
Head to head
In 2025 Sam Darnold scored 14.7 PPR points a game and Michael Penix Jr. 13.7, 1.0 a game between them.
Sam Darnold finished QB13 that year and Michael Penix Jr. QB33.
Sam Darnold had 201 more pass attempts than Michael Penix Jr., 477 to 276.
Sam Darnold had 2066 more passing yards than Michael Penix Jr., 4048 to 1982.
This season Michael Penix Jr. holds the bigger snap share, 99 percent against 90 percent.
Their target share this season is the same, 0 percent each.
Byes and availability
Both are off in Week 11, so a roster holding the pair has that one week to cover twice.
Sam Darnold is listed as out on the injury report.
Drop or keep
Should I drop Michael Penix Jr. for Sam Darnold?
Not on these numbers alone. Michael Penix Jr. projects 103 market-implied PPR points from Week 10 through Week 17 (14.7 a game over 7 games) and Sam Darnold 106 (15.1 a game over 7 games), too close to separate, so the roster spot decides it. For Week 10 the call starts Michael Penix Jr. over Sam Darnold. Sam Darnold is listed out.
Should I drop Sam Darnold for Michael Penix Jr.?
Not on these numbers alone. Sam Darnold projects 106 market-implied PPR points from Week 10 through Week 17 (15.1 a game over 7 games) and Michael Penix Jr. 103 (14.7 a game over 7 games), too close to separate, so the roster spot decides it. For Week 10 the call starts Michael Penix Jr. over Sam Darnold. Sam Darnold is listed out.
Both players in full
Week 10 on the board
- Is Sam Darnold playing Week 10?
- Is Michael Penix Jr. playing Week 10?
- Seahawks depth chart
- Falcons depth chart
- Week 10 QB rankings
- Week 10 fantasy rankings
- Week 10 start or sit
- Week 10 waiver wire
- Week 10 trade value chart
- Trade deadline buy low, sell high
- Fantasy football rankings
- Start 'em sit 'em Week 10
- Waiver wire pickups
- Fantasy sleepers
- Rest of season rankings
- Week 10 kicker rankings
- Week 10 defense rankings
