Who Should I Start? Sam Darnold or Mason Rudolph

Wednesday, May 8, 11:20 PM

Minnesota Vikings quarterback Sam Darnold could be named the team's Week 1 starter over first-round pick J.J. McCarthy. As Kevin Seifert of ESPN.com writes, "It's only a matter of time before McCarthy becomes the Vikings' starting quarterback [...] but it is not likely to happen as quickly as some fans might hope, and if anything, the Vikings are poised to err on the side of methodical caution." Such a scenario could see Minnesota let Darnold, whom they signed this past offseason when Kirk Cousins left for Atlanta, start a few games before transitioning to McCarthy. Darnold has struggled to support major fantasy production from his playmakers at previous stops, including the Jets and Panthers, so fantasy managers might want to temper expectations with players like Justin Jefferson, Jordan Addison, and T.J. Hockenson to start the year. Darnold himself falls to the low-end QB3 tier in fantasy football drafts.

Wednesday, March 13, 5:01 PM

The Tennessee Titans are signing veteran free-agent quarterback Mason Rudolph to a one-year deal worth up to $3.62 million, according to NFL insider Mike Garafolo. Rudolph played in four regular season games (three starts) for the Steelers last year, throwing for 719 yards, three touchdowns, and zero interceptions. He completed a whopping 74.3% of his passes. Second-year quarterback Will Levis is expected to start for Tennessee in 2024, but given the struggles of backup Malik Willis, Rudolph is likely to earn the backup job. Although Levis flashed upside in his rookie campaign, he is not a proven asset. If he struggles mightily, Rudolph could be thrust into action. For now, he remains off the fantasy radar in all formats.