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Fantasy football: Where to draft Minnesota Vikings QB Sam Darnold
By Nathan Beighle,
2 hours ago
Minnesota Vikings QB Sam Darnold has struggled since joining the league as the 3rd overall pick by the New York Jets in the 2018 NFL Draft. He has gone 21-35 in games he’s played and has 63 TDs and 56 INTs. Darnold, who was expected to be a backup this season, might be in the best situation of his career with a slew of talented skill players. Below, we look at Sam Darnold‘s 2024 fantasy football average draft position (ADP) and where you should draft him.
Entering 2024, Darnold could put up quality numbers and take a step forward. Ideally, he will be a capable starter in Superflex and 2-QB leagues. That said, he certainly is intriguing in terms of fantasy value.
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Sam Darnold’s ADP: 136.01
(ADP data courtesy ofMyFantasyLeague.com; last updated at time of this publishing – ADPs continually change as more drafts occur) 26
Darnold has an ADP of 136.01 in redraft leagues, which puts him in the range of the 10th to 12th round, depending on the size of the league. His ADP is lower than his teammate Camryn Bynum (126.50).
Among QB Darnold’s ADP puts him 26th at the position, behind Matthew Stafford (Los Angeles Rams, 121.85), Kirk Cousins (Atlanta Falcons, 123.35) and Baker Mayfield (Tampa Bay Buccaneers, 129.54), Geno Smith (Seattle Seahawks, 135.42), and slightly ahead of, Deshaun Watson (Cleveland Browns, 136.48) and Derek Carr (New Orleans Saints, 138.32).
Sam Darnold’s 2023-24 stats
Games: 10 (1 start, 0-1)
Passing yards: 297
Completions | attempts: 28 | 46
Passing touchdowns: 2
Interceptions: 1
Carries | rushing yards: 21 | 15
Rushing touchdowns: 1
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Where should you draft Darnold?
Darnold’s fantasy value is going to get a drastic boost this year as he’s taking over for 1st-round pick J.J. McCarthy, who sustained a season-ending injury. Darnold will have an elite crew of weapons behind RB Aaron Jones and WR Justin Jefferson.
The 27-year-old started the 1st 5 seasons of his career and struggled, but this group will be far more lethal than that of any New York Jets or Carolina Panthers team that Darnold started for. In 2019, he did end with 19 TDs and 13 INTs along with 3,024 passing yards.
However, he has yet to finish a season as a top-25 fantasy QB, and there’s no good reason to think he’ll make substantial gains this season. Having top-tier playmakers is bound to help. The Vikings also have the 13th-ranked offensive line per a recent Action Network ranking.
Draft Darnold in the 10th round of Superflex or 2-QB leagues as he is a viable option in leagues where QBs have a higher priority, especially given the options he’ll have in the offense. His upside is limited, so let him go undrafted in standard leagues or take him as a high-floor backup at the end of the draft.
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