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        FANTASY FOOTBALL NEWS

        Sam Darnold Throws 4 TDs

        By Matt Schauf | Updated on Sun, Sep 22 2024 9:26 PM UTC
        Sam Darnold Headshot

        Vikings QB Sam Darnold threw for just 181 yards but racked up 4 TD passes in Sunday's beatdown of the Texans. He connected with four different targets for those scores: WR Justin Jefferson, RB Aaron Jones, WR Jalen Nailor, and TE Johnny Mundt. Darnold hurt his left knee late in the third quarter but left the field for only one snap before returning and finishing out the game. (Nick Mullens kneeled on the game's final play.)

        What They're Saying

        Rookie teammate J.J. McCarthy: "Sam Darnold is good at football."

        Former NFL DB -- and current TV analyst -- Ryan Clark: "Sam Darnold is the MVP favorite. The Minnesota Vikings are the best team in ball. Just what you expected headed into Week 4."

        2024 Fantasy Football Impact

        It's obviously too early to actually label an MVP favorite. And we're still figuring out who the best team in football is. But it's tough to argue either point through three weeks.

        Minnesota stands 3-0 after beating the 49ers and Texans consecutively. Darnold entered Sunday with the sixth-best Pro Football Focus passing grade among starters and the third-most yards per pass attempt (9.5).

        And he has yet to play with TE T.J. Hockenson and has barely seen any of WR Jordan Addison.

        Back-to-back starter-level fantasy performances for Darnold has to put him in top-12 consideration for Week 4 at Green Bay. We'll see how he fares in that one before judging Darnold's viability for a Week 5 home date with the Jets.

        Hockenson will be eligible to come off the PUP list for that one. We'll see if he's ready, but I wouldn't be surprised if they wait through the Week 6 bye.

        Dynasty Impact

        Darnold's resurgence is obviously most relevant to redraft leagues. But every positive outing he stacks up helps his chances of landing a starting gig somewhere in 2025.

        He's an interesting player for dynasty trade talks. Don't undersell Darnold if you're the holder in your league.

        Matt Schauf Author Image
        Matt Schauf, Editor
        Matt has earned two Fantasy Pros accuracy awards for IDP rankings and won thousands of dollars as a player across best ball, dynasty, and high-stakes fantasy formats. He has been creating fantasy football content for more than 20 years, with work featured by Sporting News, Rotoworld, Athlon, Sirius XM, and others. He's been with Draft Sharks since 2011.
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