Start Sam Darnold or Michael Penix Jr.? Week 10
Updated Nov 10, 2:26 PM ET. Locks at kickoff, graded after. Week 11 answer posts Tuesday.
Latest
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
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.
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Michael Penix Jr. rookie cards
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Our Week 10 call
Start Michael Penix Jr. over Sam Darnold in Week 10.
Sam Darnold is listed out on the injury report, so this is not a close call: start Michael Penix Jr..
What the market projects
No Week 10 player market is posted for Sam Darnold yet. His market-based projections were 15.1 and 15.8 points in Weeks 7 and 8, an average of 15.4, which stands in until his Week 10 market posts.
No Week 10 player market is posted for Michael Penix Jr. yet. His market-based projections were 15.3, 14.6 and 15.0 points in Weeks 7, 8 and 9, an average of 15.0, which stands in until his Week 10 market posts.
That puts Sam Darnold 0.4 points ahead of Michael Penix Jr. on these projections.
Week 10 matchups
Sam Darnold and SEA visit LV on Sunday at 4:05 PM ET.
LV allowed 20.6 fantasy points a game to QBs this season over 8 games, the 5th most in the league.
Quarterbacks threw for 251 yards and 2.3 touchdowns a game against LV, with 0.8 interceptions a game.
Michael Penix Jr. and ATL host KC on Sunday at 1:00 PM ET.
KC allowed 13.9 fantasy points a game to QBs this season over 7 games, the 7th fewest in the league.
Quarterbacks threw for 228 yards and a touchdown a game against KC, with 0.9 interceptions a game.
By points allowed to the position, Sam Darnold has the softer matchup.
Injury status
Sam Darnold is listed as out with a quadriceps injury.
Michael Penix Jr. is not on the injury report.
Usage before Week 10
Through Week 8, Sam Darnold played 90 percent of SEA snaps, dropped back 235 times and threw an average of 6.9 air yards per attempt.
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.
Sam Darnold, Week 8 against CHI: 63 of 63 snaps, 17 of 34 passes for 188 yards, 2 touchdowns and 1 interception, 2 carries for 20 yards.
Through Week 9, Michael Penix Jr. played 99 percent of ATL snaps, dropped back 93 times and threw an average of 7.1 air yards per attempt.
Michael Penix Jr., Week 7 against SF: 68 of 69 snaps, 25 of 33 passes for 213 yards, 3 touchdowns and 0 interceptions, 2 carries for 2 yards.
Michael Penix Jr., Week 8 against TB: 53 of 53 snaps, 8 of 24 passes for 125 yards, 0 touchdowns and 4 interceptions, 5 carries for 11 yards.
Michael Penix Jr., Week 9 against CIN: 62 of 62 snaps, 20 of 31 passes for 162 yards, 1 touchdown and 1 interception, 3 carries for 50 yards.
Their 2025 seasons
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.
In 2025, Michael Penix Jr. played 9 games for ATL and scored 123.3 PPR points, 13.7 a game, finishing QB33.
He completed 166 of 276 passes for 1982 yards, 9 touchdowns and 3 interceptions, and ran 21 times for 70 yards and 1 touchdown.
He was on the field for 93 percent of the offense's snaps in the games he played.
Their other Week 10 calls
Locks at kickoff, graded after. When the start/sit engine grades week 10, the call and the result appear on the public record, wrong ones included.
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.
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