Seattle Seahawks quarterback Sam Darnold is in line to have another big season in 2026, but his value in fantasy football leagues may tell another story.
Darnold is coming off of his second straight 4,000-yard season with another strong offensive unit around him heading into the 2026 season. The USC product is in an ideal situation to have another prolific year in 2026, and perhaps his best one yet, making his outlook in fantasy football one of great importance for team managers seeking a gunslinging QB.
According to ESPN Fantasy Football in their projections for the 2026 fantasy football season, Darnold forecasts to record 4,012 passing yards with a 24-12 touchdown-to-interception ratio, as well as 125 rushing yards and a rushing TD on his way to 242.27 fantasy points.
Due to his rushing stats, Darnold likely won’t be a top-10 quarterback in PPR leagues in accordance with the way he played in 2025 as one of the best players at the position. The Seahawks are also not a pass-heavy offense, as they finished with the fourth-fewest passing attempts among all teams in 2025 with 481, but may lean on the aerial attack early in the year depending on the state of their ground game.
Nevertheless, for team managers looking for a QB with a track record of producing volume yardage in the passing game, as well as a team structure that will enable him to succeed, Darnold will be a strong option to select in drafts as a QB2 for leagues with two starting quarterbacks, and an elite bench option for leagues that are not as deep or feature one starting QB.
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