Start Bo Nix or Sam Darnold? Week 8

Updated Oct 27, 11:46 AM ET. Locks at kickoff, graded after. Week 9 answer posts Tuesday.

Start Sam Darnold over Bo Nix

Start

Sam Darnold

QB · SEA · vs CHI

Market projects: 17.5; fantasy pts
CHI D vs QB: 19.9; 10th most to QBs (2026)
Upside: Limited; 34 of 100 at QB
Snap share: 89%; Through Week 7

Sit

Bo Nix

QB · DEN · vs KC

Market projects: 15.8; recent weeks avg
KC D vs QB: 13.0; 3rd fewest to QBs (2026)
Upside: Limited; 38 of 100 at QB
Snap share: 100%; Through Week 7

Should I drop Sam Darnold for Bo Nix?

Yes, on the rest of the season. Bo Nix projects 148 market-implied PPR points from Week 8 through Week 17 (16.4 a game over 9 games), Sam Darnold 136 (15.1 a game over 9 games). For Week 8 the call starts Sam Darnold over Bo Nix. So make the move after his Week 8 game.

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Our Week 8 call

Start Sam Darnold over Bo Nix in Week 8.

Market-based projections have Sam Darnold at 17.5 points and Bo Nix at 15.8, a gap of 1.7. Sam Darnold's number is scaled up from a partial market: not every stat the position needs is posted yet, so the rest is estimated from what is. No player market is posted for Bo Nix this week yet, so his 15.8 is the average of his market-based projections in Weeks 5, 6 and 7 (16.3, 14.9 and 16.3); the call is rebuilt when his market posts. Drafters take Sam Darnold at ADP 155 and Bo Nix at 116. Market coverage on Sam Darnold is 70 percent of what his position needs, so the market side of this carries proportionally less weight.

What the market projects

No Week 8 player market is posted for Bo Nix yet. His market-based projections were 16.3, 14.9 and 16.3 points in Weeks 5, 6 and 7, an average of 15.8, which stands in until his Week 8 market posts.

Player markets imply 17.5 fantasy points for Sam Darnold, with 70 percent of the markets a QB needs posted.

The market-based projection for Sam Darnold is 233 passing yards, 1-2 passing touchdowns and 0.2 rushing touchdowns (9, 10 and 8 market sources).

That puts Sam Darnold 1.7 points ahead of Bo Nix on these projections.

Week 8 matchups

Bo Nix and DEN host KC on Sunday at 4:25 PM ET.

KC allowed 13.0 fantasy points a game to QBs this season over 6 games, the 3rd fewest in the league.

Quarterbacks threw for 230 yards and 0.8 touchdowns a game against KC, with an interception a game.

Sam Darnold and SEA host CHI on Monday at 8:15 PM ET.

CHI allowed 19.9 fantasy points a game to QBs this season over 7 games, the 10th most in the league.

Quarterbacks threw for 241 yards and 1.6 touchdowns a game against CHI, with 0.6 interceptions a game.

By points allowed to the position, Sam Darnold has the softer matchup.

Injury status

Bo Nix is not on the injury report.

Sam Darnold is not on the injury report.

Usage before Week 8

Through Week 7, Bo Nix played 100 percent of DEN snaps, dropped back 234 times and threw an average of 5.7 air yards per attempt.

Bo Nix, Week 4 against SF: 65 of 65 snaps, 25 of 42 passes for 214 yards, 1 touchdown and 0 interceptions, 2 carries for 10 yards.

Bo Nix, Week 5 against LAC: 62 of 62 snaps, 16 of 27 passes for 123 yards, 1 touchdown and 0 interceptions, 4 carries for 10 yards.

Bo Nix, Week 6 against SEA: 60 of 60 snaps, 17 of 27 passes for 107 yards, 0 touchdowns and 0 interceptions, 3 carries for 3 yards.

Bo Nix, Week 7 against ARI: 61 of 61 snaps, 15 of 29 passes for 222 yards, 1 touchdown and 0 interceptions, 5 carries for 75 yards.

Through Week 7, Sam Darnold played 89 percent of SEA snaps, dropped back 196 times and threw an average of 7.0 air yards per attempt.

Sam Darnold, Week 4 against LAC: 60 of 60 snaps, 13 of 22 passes for 168 yards, 2 touchdowns and 1 interception, 1 carry for 8 yards.

Sam Darnold, Week 5 against SF: 63 of 63 snaps, 18 of 29 passes for 195 yards, 1 touchdown and 2 interceptions, 1 carry for 5 yards.

Sam Darnold, Week 6 against DEN: 85 of 85 snaps, 27 of 49 passes for 278 yards, 0 touchdowns and 2 interceptions, 2 carries for 19 yards.

Sam Darnold, Week 7 against KC: 69 of 69 snaps, 20 of 28 passes for 257 yards, 1 touchdown and 1 interception, 2 carries for 17 yards.

Their 2025 seasons

In 2025, Bo Nix played 17 games for DEN and scored 315.8 PPR points, 18.6 a game, finishing QB7.

He completed 388 of 612 passes for 3931 yards, 25 touchdowns and 11 interceptions, and ran 83 times for 356 yards and 5 touchdowns.

He was on the field for 100 percent of the offense's snaps in the games he played.

In 2025, Sam Darnold played 17 games for SEA and scored 249.4 PPR points, 14.7 a game, finishing QB13.

He completed 323 of 477 passes for 4048 yards, 25 touchdowns and 14 interceptions, and ran 35 times for 95 yards and 0 touchdowns.

He was on the field for 96 percent of the offense's snaps in the games he played.

Their other Week 8 calls

Locks at kickoff, graded after. When the start/sit engine grades week 8, the call and the result appear on the public record, wrong ones included.

Drop or keep

Should I drop Sam Darnold for Bo Nix?
Yes, on the rest of the season. Bo Nix projects 148 market-implied PPR points from Week 8 through Week 17 (16.4 a game over 9 games), Sam Darnold 136 (15.1 a game over 9 games). For Week 8 the call starts Sam Darnold over Bo Nix. So make the move after his Week 8 game.
Should I drop Bo Nix for Sam Darnold?
No. Keep Bo Nix: he projects 148 market-implied PPR points from Week 8 through Week 17 (16.4 a game over 9 games), Sam Darnold 136 (15.1 a game over 9 games). For Week 8 the call starts Sam Darnold over Bo Nix.

Should I drop Bo Nix?