Baker Mayfield vs Sam Darnold: Who Should You Start?
If you are choosing between Baker Mayfield and Sam Darnold for your lineup, you are not alone. Baker Mayfield finished the 2025 season at 16.6 PPG for the Tampa Bay Buccaneers (17 games), and Sam Darnold averaged 14.7 for the Seattle Seahawks (17 games).
That 1.9-point weekly advantage for Baker Mayfield is meaningful but not automatic. Fantasy football is a week-to-week sport, and the answer to "who should I start" often changes based on opponent, recent form, and game environment. Season averages set the baseline; weekly context makes the call.
Both lean on arm talent and offensive scheme as traditional pocket passers. Baker Mayfield threw for 3693 yards and 26 touchdowns, while Sam Darnold posted 4048 yards and 25 scores. Volume, red zone efficiency, and game script are the key week-to-week differentiators when neither carries rushing upside.
Baker Mayfield has his bye in Week 11, and Sam Darnold rests in Week 10. Managers rostering both need waiver wire depth at quarterback for those two weeks, and that is exactly the kind of planning DraftCall's matchup engine surfaces automatically so you are not scrambling on a Sunday morning.
