- Sam Darnold‘s profession yr arrives: In 2024, Darnold achieved his finest fantasy soccer season up to now, ending because the ninth-ranked quarterback in fantasy factors per sport.
- Darnold joins the Seattle Seahawks: For 2025, Darnold strikes to the Seahawks, going through a probably extra run-heavy offense and a distinct set of receiving targets.
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Estimated Reading Time: 5 minutes
PFF’s Fantasy Football Player Profile sequence delivers essentially the most in-depth fantasy soccer evaluation accessible for the 2025 season.
Using PFF’s unique knowledge, we consider participant efficiency, competitors for touches and the way teammates and training staffs
Last up to date: 7:15 a.m. Friday, June 27
Player efficiency
Sam Darnold was the third total decide by the New York Jets within the 2018 draft. He spent three seasons because the Jets starter however was outdoors of the top-26 quarterbacks in factors per sport all three seasons. The Jets moved on from Darnold to Zach Wilson, whereas Darnold went to the Carolina Panthers. He was the first starter however completed twenty eighth in fantasy factors per sport.
Injuries have been an issue all through Darnold’s profession, as he sustained a foot damage in 2018, mononucleosis in 2019, a shoulder sprain in 2020 and a concussion and scapula damage in 2021, inflicting him to overlook three to 4 video games every season. An ankle damage at the beginning of 2022 value him the primary 10 video games, however he regained his beginning position for the final six video games of the yr. His 66.3 passing grade was the perfect of his profession, however he was nonetheless solely twenty sixth in fantasy factors per sport.
The Panthers moved on to Bryce Young, and there have been no beginning alternatives left for Darnold. Darnold selected the 49ers to be “in a very good group.” There was additionally the potential of him beginning early within the season as Brock Purdy recovered from elbow surgical procedure, however Purdy was prepared for Week 1. He performed late in a number of video games all year long and began in Week 18 in a sport the place each groups rested a number of their gamers.
He went to the Minnesota Vikings in 2024, and the thought was he’d be the veteran mentor to first-round rookie J.J. McCarthy, however a torn meniscus value McCarthy his rookie season. Darnold took over and had, by far, the perfect season of his profession. He was not solely a top-25 fantasy quarterback for the primary time, however he completed ninth in fantasy factors per sport. His 80.3 passing grade was additionally the perfect of his profession.
Darnold was in an important scenario, the place Vikings quarterbacks underneath Kevin O’Connell have usually succeeded. He additionally had Justin Jefferson to throw to, which actually helped. He held onto the ball behind a median offensive line, permitting him to make a number of large performs. He was solely common by way of what number of passes he threw, however his large performs helped him to a number of touchdowns and yards. His 2.1 passing touchdowns per sport ranked fifth amongst quarterbacks final season, whereas 9.7% of his completions was touchdowns, which was the third-most.
Darnold’s dashing manufacturing has been under common for a quarterback. Like most quarterbacks, he ran extra earlier in his profession. While he confirmed a willingness to run final season, he wasn’t very efficient at it.
Projected utilization
The Vikings determined to stay with McCarthy for 2025 reasonably than outbidding different groups for Darnold. He selected the Seattle Seahawks, the place their new head coach, Klint Kubiak, was Darnold’s passing sport coordinator in 2023. The Seahawks traded away their incumbent starter, Geno Smith. Darnold hopes to efficiently comply with in Smith’s footsteps as a former excessive draft decide by the Jets. Smith bounced across the league after which discovered success in Seattle.
Both Darnold and Kubiak are used to loads of downfield passes, making Darnold a pleasant match. Kubiak isn’t used to his quarterbacks working fairly often, which additionally matches properly with Darnold. One large change for him from a fantasy perspective is how a lot Kubiak runs the ball. He’s sometimes been run heavy, outdoors of when he had an elite receiving working again in Christian McCaffrey. The Vikings have constantly thrown greater than most groups. We might see a lower in Darnold’s dropbacks until the Seahawks are dropping most of their video games and have to throw to catch up.
The Seahawks spent their third-round decide on Jalen Milroe from Alabama. While Milroe is unlikely to take over because the Seahawks’ starter this season, the Seahawks might have a package deal of performs for Milroe. He is likely one of the most athletic quarterbacks within the league, so a short-yardage and goal-line package deal would make sense. This might reduce into Darnold’s enjoying time, and notably his landing manufacturing, if Milroe is on the sphere when the Seahawks are near scoring.
Impact of teammates
The Seahawks made a number of modifications to their ability gamers this season, shifting on from long-time huge receivers D.Okay. Metcalf and Tyler Lockett, including veterans Cooper Kupp and Marquez Valdes-Scantling, and drafting Elijah Arroyo and Tory Horton. The ability gamers are a cause to not be as optimistic about Darnold relative to how effectively he performed final season. None of the huge receivers are on the similar stage as Justin Jefferson, not one of the tight ends are at T.J. Hockenson, even with him not being 100% final season, and not one of the working backs have performed in addition to a receiver as Aaron Jones. The unit has the potential to be good, however lots would want to go proper for them to match the Minnesota Vikings‘ passing sport this season.
The Seahawks ranked seventh-worst in pass-blocking grade final season. On the brilliant aspect, left sort out Charles Cross took a notable step in the best route as each a cross protector and run blocker final season. The solely different lineman who stayed wholesome all season final yr was Laken Tomlinson, who’s not on the roster. The Seahawks spent their first-round decide on Grey Zabel, who ought to assist, and ideally, the road can keep more healthy this season.
While there may be cause to imagine the road can play higher than final season, Darnold has been used to having an above-average line the earlier three seasons, so for Darnold, this can nonetheless in all probability be a downgrade. Darnold already takes a number of sacks, and that downside could possibly be worse this season.
Bottom line
While Sam Darnold had a profession yr final season, he’s becoming a member of a Seahawks workforce that will likely be extra centered on working the ball, and his supporting forged round him received’t be as robust. While he may be a high-quality late possibility in superflex leagues for individuals who need to look forward to a second quarterback, it’s unlikely he could have many weeks as a top-12 fantasy quarterback, making it onerous to belief him in most single-quarterback leagues.
Footnotes
- Statistics in tables and charts had been chosen primarily based on their potential to foretell future fantasy efficiency on a per-game or per-opportunity foundation or to explain the participant relative to others on the similar place.
- “Opportunities” are outlined as passing dropbacks, dashing makes an attempt and routes run as a receiver.
- Numbers are supplied both by season or primarily based on the previous three years. For rookies, solely faculty statistics are included. For non-rookies, solely NFL statistics are thought-about, no matter whether or not they performed in faculty inside the earlier three years.
- As faculty competitors is less complicated than NFL competitors, most rookies are prone to see a decline from their historic numbers.
- Only FBS knowledge is taken into account for faculty gamers and comparisons.
- Kneel-downs are faraway from dashing knowledge to offer cleaner quarterback dashing price statistics.
- The desk colours on this article vary from blue (indicating good/excessive) to pink (indicating unhealthy/low).
- All percentiles and coloration codings evaluate the given participant to others with a excessive pattern of alternatives. Generally, the cutoff is one-third of the potential alternatives within the pattern. If a participant doesn’t meet the brink, they’re nonetheless included within the comparability, although their outcomes might seem higher or worse than anticipated as a result of smaller, much less predictive pattern dimension.
- Information on utilization classifications and their significance will be discovered right here for working backs, huge receivers and tight ends.
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