Patrick Mahomes vs Sam Darnold: Who Should You Start?
Patrick Mahomes and Sam Darnold are at different tiers heading into 2026. The Kansas City Chiefs quarterback averaged 20.4 PPG in 2025, a full 6.6 points per game ahead of Sam Darnold's 13.8 with the Seattle Seahawks. That kind of gap doesn't close on matchup alone.
That 6.6-point weekly advantage for Patrick Mahomes 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.
Patrick Mahomes offers meaningful rushing upside with 422 yards on the ground in 2025, which separates his floor from a pocket passer like Sam Darnold (4048 passing yards, 25 touchdowns). In games where the passing matchup looks ugly, that rushing production can be the entire difference on a start/sit call.
Patrick Mahomes has his bye in Week 10, and Sam Darnold rests in Week 8. 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.
