Sam Darnold Daily Fantasy News, Rankings, Projections

Sam Darnold will start for the 49ers Week 18; per Kyle Shanahan.

Panthers will start Baker Mayfield, followed by Sam Darnold; plan is for each to quarterback to play six-to-eight plays.

Sam Darnold will start Sunday for the Panthers when they are set to take on the New Orleans Saints. It took just over a week for Darnold to win back the starting job over Cam Newton, though it seems like Newton will still have a role in the offense. HC Matt Rhule said that Darnold will start but Newton will be ready to play. This suggests that Newton could be called upon in goal line scenarios where his rushing ability would be a factor. It remains difficult to play either Carolina QB in DFS contests with the other always looming with the potential to take away crucial touchdowns.

Sam Darnold is "expected to play today and likely play a lot" per Ian Rapoport. The quarterback situation in Carolina continues to get more and more interesting as HC Matt Rhule will seem to go with a hot-hand approach at the position. Cam Newton is expected to start the game but Sam Darnold is expected to play at some points. It sounds like game script could be a factor here as well as performance. Until this situation becomes more clear it will be best to stay away from both quarterbacks as the presence of the one will severely limit the upside of the other.

Sam Darnold has been activated from IR to the 53-man roster, while Reggie Bonnafon and Stephen Sullivan have been elevated from the practice squad ahead of Saturday's matchup against the Tampa Bay Buccaneers. Darnold is expected to play some snaps behind starter Cam Newton but we have no idea what exactly that split will look like. Bonnafon is expected to serve as the third running back for the Panthers and should not be considered in DFS contests. Stephen Sullivan is expected to serve as tight end depth and should not be considered in DFS contests.

Cam Newton will start Sunday against the Tampa Bay Buccaneers and have a major role but Sam Darnold will also play according to HC Mat Rhule. Coach Rhule will elect to go with a two QB system once again on Sunday limiting the upside of both quarterbacks. Coach Rhule didn't go into much depth when discussing each quarterback's role so its impossible to know exactly how the snaps will be split but one would figure Newton would see much of the goal line work and Darnold would play more if the Panthers were down by multiple scores. It was probably best to stay away from the Carolina offense regardless as they draw a tough matchup against the Buccaneers defense.

Sam Darnold is likely to miss "several weeks" with a fractured scapula, PJ Walker is expected to start this Sunday against the Arizona Cardinals. All pieces of the Carolina offense will take a hit to their expected production. The main pieces being Christian McCaffrey and D.J. Moore, McCaffrey is likely to still be used in a limited fashion as he continues to work his way back from injury and D.J. Moore will take a hit with a less capable quarterback. P.J. Walker himself does offer some rushing upside but draws a very difficult matchup with the Cardinals defense.

Carolina's plan is for Sam Darnold "to start today" barring any pregame setbacks according to sources. It looks as though the Panthers will have their starting quarterback and starting running back (Christian McCaffrey was activated off IR yesterday) back when they face off against the New England Patriots. This is good news for all Carolina pass-catchers as they would have taken a hit if P.J. Walker ended up drawing the start. This is still a tough matchup against a tough Patriots defense so Darnold likely shouldn't be considered for DFS purposes but a pass catcher like D.J. Moore can be played with more confidence now.

Christian McCaffrey has been activated to the 53-man roster from IR for Sunday's game against the New England Patriots while Sam Darnold has cleared concussion protocol but is still questionable with a shoulder injury. If McCaffrey is unable to go this weekend after testing his hamstring out pregame, it will once again be Chuba Hubbard leading the backfield with Ameer Abdullah and Royce Freeman available to back him up. If McCaffrey is deemed good to go on Sunday he would likely be somewhat limited but still would be considered a top option due to his skillset. Darnold has cleared concussion protocol but is still dealing with a shoulder injury. If he were unable to go on Sunday, P.J. Walker would draw the start at quarterback and all pass-catchers would take a hit to their expected production.

Sam Darnold has been listed as questionable for Sunday and HC Matt Rhule is "hopeful" both Darnold and Christian McCaffrey will be able to play. If McCaffrey is unable to go this weekend it will once again be Chuba Hubbard leading the backfield with Ameer Abdullah and Royce Freeman available to back him up. If McCaffrey is activated in time for the game on Sunday he would likely be somewhat limited but still would be considered a top option due to his skillset. Darnold is still in concussion protocol while also dealing with a shoulder injury. If he were unable to go on Sunday, P.J. Walker would draw the start at quarterback and all pass-catchers would take a hit to their expected production.