Start Tyler Shough or Sam Darnold? Week 1

Our Week 1 call

Start Tyler Shough over Sam Darnold in Week 1.

Sam Darnold is priced by the books at 2.7 projected points and Tyler Shough is not priced at all, so we are leaning on where drafters take them. Drafters take Tyler Shough at ADP 144 and Sam Darnold at 155.

What the books imply

No sportsbook posted a player market for Tyler Shough in Week 1.

Player prop markets imply 2.7 fantasy points for Sam Darnold, with 45 percent of the markets a QB needs posted.

Week 1 matchups

Tyler Shough and NO visit DET.

DET allowed 25.2 fantasy points to QBs in its one game this season, the 6th most in the league.

Quarterbacks threw for 410 yards and 3 touchdowns against DET, with 2 interceptions.

Sam Darnold and SEA host NE on Wednesday at 8:20 PM ET.

NE allowed 13.3 fantasy points to QBs in its one game this season, the 10th fewest in the league.

Quarterbacks threw for 200 yards and a touchdown against NE, with no interceptions.

By points allowed to the position, Tyler Shough has the softer matchup.

Injury status

Tyler Shough was not on the injury report when the call was made.

Sam Darnold was not on the injury report when the call was made.

Their 2025 seasons

In 2025, Tyler Shough played 11 games for NO and scored 164.0 PPR points, 14.9 a game, finishing QB26.

He completed 221 of 327 passes for 2384 yards, 10 touchdowns and 6 interceptions, and ran 45 times for 186 yards and 3 touchdowns.

He was on the field for 51 percent of the offense's snaps in the games he played.

Tyler Shough, Week 18 of 2025 against ATL: 23 of 35 passes for 259 yards, 1 touchdown and 1 interception, 3 carries for 34 yards, 22.8 PPR points.

Tyler Shough, Week 17 of 2025 against TEN: 53 of 54 snaps, 22 of 27 passes for 333 yards, 2 touchdowns and 0 interceptions, 4 carries for 6 yards, 21.9 PPR points.

Tyler Shough, Week 16 of 2025 against NYJ: 76 of 78 snaps, 32 of 49 passes for 308 yards, 1 touchdown and 0 interceptions, 2 carries for 8 yards, 17.1 PPR points.

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.

Sam Darnold, Week 18 of 2025 against SF: 69 of 69 snaps, 20 of 26 passes for 198 yards, 0 touchdowns and 0 interceptions, 6 carries for 9 yards, 8.8 PPR points.

Sam Darnold, Week 17 of 2025 against CAR: 66 of 66 snaps, 18 of 27 passes for 147 yards, 1 touchdown and 1 interception, 3 carries for 2 yards, 7.1 PPR points.

Sam Darnold, Week 16 of 2025 against LAR: 68 of 68 snaps, 22 of 34 passes for 270 yards, 2 touchdowns and 2 interceptions, 3 carries for 7 yards, 21.5 PPR points.

How Week 1 went

Tyler Shough scored 25.2 PPR points and Sam Darnold scored 0.5.

The call was right: Tyler Shough outscored Sam Darnold by 24.7.

Tyler Shough, Week 1 against DET: 90 of 90 snaps, 35 of 56 passes for 410 yards, 3 touchdowns and 2 interceptions, 4 carries for 8 yards, 25.2 PPR points.

Tyler Shough finished as the week's QB6 in PPR scoring.

Sam Darnold finished 2.2 points below the 2.7 the props implied.

Sam Darnold, Week 1 against NE: 5 of 50 snaps, 1 of 2 passes for 13 yards, 0 touchdowns and 0 interceptions, 0.5 PPR points.

Sam Darnold finished as the week's QB36 in PPR scoring.

Their other Week 1 calls

• Start Baker Mayfield over Tyler Shough.
• Start Tyler Shough over C.J. Stroud.
• Start Tyler Shough over Daniel Jones.
• Start Baker Mayfield over Sam Darnold.
• Start Sam Darnold over C.J. Stroud.
• Start Sam Darnold over Daniel Jones.