Joe Burrow vs Sam Darnold: Who Should You Start?
Two quarterbacks who will land on plenty of the same rosters in 2026. Joe Burrow (Cincinnati Bengals) finished the 2025 season averaging 17.4 fantasy points per game in 8 games. Sam Darnold (Seattle Seahawks) came in at 14.7 PPG over 17 games. The gap is real but not insurmountable with the right matchup.
Joe Burrow carries a 2.7-point PPG advantage from the 2025 season. That baseline matters, but it is one input among several. Matchup difficulty, scoring trends, and injury reports move the needle week to week, which is why the best answer changes depending on when you are asking.
Both lean on arm talent and offensive scheme as traditional pocket passers. Joe Burrow threw for 1809 yards and 17 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.
One scheduling note: Joe Burrow is off Week 12 and Sam Darnold Week 10. If these two are on your roster, you will need a fill-in quarterback for both weeks. DraftCall flags bye conflicts so you can plan ahead rather than panic on waivers.
