The Minnesota Vikings will face the Los Angeles Rams on Wild Card Weekend. Here’s the latest fantasy football news and advice to help you with your lineups this week and moving forward, especially regarding QB Sam Darnold.
Is Sam Darnold Playing vs. the Rams?
Darnold does not have an injury designation heading into the game this weekend. Barring any setbacks, he is on track to play vs. the Rams.
We’ll continue to monitor the Vikings’ injury report. You can also visit and bookmark our NFL Injury Tracker and Fantasy News Tracker for the latest updates.
Should You Start or Sit Sam Darnold on Wild Card Weekend?
Darnold has a little wiggle to his game but is largely a pocket passer. However, he’s my top-ranked QB who isn’t a threat to break open the game with his legs.
Soppe’s Wild Card QB rankings:
- Josh Allen
- Lamar Jackson
- Jayden Daniels
- Jalen Hurts
- Sam Darnold
He completed 72% of his passes for 240 yards and a pair of scores in Week 8 against the Rams, a stat line that feels like a floor. He was efficient without the running game demanding much defensive attention (22 carries for 64 yards).
If Minnesota can force Los Angeles to respect the run at any level, Darnold becomes a good bet to hit the 300-yard bonus, which would help him make up for the lack of projectable rushing production. The Rams are the worst playoff team in terms of time of possession, another feather in Darnold’s cap as it paves the way for high-end volume that a player like Jackson might not get.
We get all sorts of readers here at PFN; some are fans of a good narrative. If that’s you:
In Week 7, Sam Darnold had as many touchdowns as interceptions in a loss where his team allowed 31 points to the Lions — he followed it up with his second-best passer rating of the season in Los Angeles against the Rams. He didn’t have any touchdowns or interceptions in Sunday’s 31-9 loss to the Lions, so …
The nice part about taking a passing-oriented quarterback is the stacking ability. Darnold isn’t posting a big week without one, if not two or three, of his pass catchers coming along for the ride. I don’t expect Darnold to be a chalky QB, and if you lock in two of his teammates with him, you instantly have a pretty unique nucleus.
Are you looking for start/sit advice for other players in your lineup? Read our Wild Card Weekend Fantasy Start-Sit Advice Cheat Sheet for every fantasy-relevant player in every game.
Sam Darnold’s Fantasy Points Projection on Wild Card Weekend
As of Saturday, Darnold is projected to score 20.6 fantasy points on Wild Card Weekend. This includes 267.4 passing yards, 1.7 passing touchdowns, and 1 interceptions. It also includes 5.7 rushing attempts for 21.1 yards and 0.3 touchdowns.
Check out the free PFN Fantasy Start-Sit Optimizer for the latest projections and advice for your lineups this week.
Sam Darnold’s Fantasy Ranking
Our Weekly Consensus PPR Rankings are below — both positional and overall. They were last updated at 9:15 AM ET on Saturday, January 18. If you're in a Superflex league, make sure you check out our Divisional Round Superflex Rankings.
Divisional Round QB PPR Rankings
1) Josh Allen | BUF (vs. BAL)
2) Lamar Jackson | BAL (at BUF)
3) Jayden Daniels | WAS (at DET)
4) Jalen Hurts | PHI (vs. LAR)
5) Jared Goff | DET (vs. WAS)
6) Patrick Mahomes | KC (vs. HOU)
7) Matthew Stafford | LAR (at PHI)
8) C.J. Stroud | HOU (at KC)
