X
Lost password?

Don't have an account?
Gain Access Now

X

Receive free daily analysis

NFL
NBA
NHL
NASCAR
CFB
MLB
MMA
PGA
ESPORTS
BETTING

Already have an account? Log In

X

Forgot Password


POPULAR FANTASY TOOLS

Expert Advice
Articles & Tools
Import Your Leagues
Draft Rankings
Draft Simulator
Enter League Settings
Value Picks
Compare Any Players
News and Alerts

Sam Darnold (QB, NYJ) - 2019 Fantasy Football Sleeper

It was a mixed first season for Sam Darnold in the NFL, but there were a lot of positive signs. Now entering 2019, Kipp Heisterman takes a look at how Darnold can take the next step and outperform his current ADP.

The New York Jets and quarterback Sam Darnold enter 2019 expecting to improve upon their 4-12 record from a season ago. To achieve this, they have brought in free-agent running back Le'Veon Bell and former Miami Dolphins Head Coach Adam Gase. The Jets feel that adding these two pieces should significantly improve their offense, which finished 29th in the league with 4,787 yards of total offense.

A big part of the Jets' offense in 2018 was their passing game. They finished the season with 3,165 passing yards, which was only good for 25th in the league, but accounted for 66 percent of their total offense. Adam Gase is known for getting creative with offenses. However, his passing offense in Miami was even worse than the Jets, putting up a putrid 2,900 passing yards in 2018. He did have less to work with while in Miami, so it is more than feasible that having the likes of Darnold, Bell, Robby Anderson, and Chris Herndon IV at the skill positions will lead to improvement.

For the Jets' offense to take flight in 2019, Darnold will have to step up the most. As a rookie, he threw for 2,865 yards, 17 touchdowns, and 15 interceptions across 13 games. He missed three games from Weeks 10-13 due to a foot sprain. He recovered and performed admirably down the stretch, finishing with 931 passing yards and six touchdowns to one interception over the final four weeks of the season. Let's take a look at why he should continue to improve in 2019.

Editor's Note: Find sleeper picks, undervalued ADPs, and draft targets to help you dominate your fantasy football drafts. Try our free who to draft tool for personalized recommendations.

 

Darnold to Fly in 2019?

The addition of Bell will help Darnold grow in 2019. Darnold loves throwing to the running back position. This is exemplified by him throwing 74 passes for 47 completions and 447 receiving yards between Bilal Powell, Elijah McGuire, and Trenton Cannon in 2018. In 2019, Bell will give him a single back that can handle this workload. In 2017 (Bell's last season), he recorded 106 targets for 85 receptions and 655 receiving yards. Bell has had over 600 receiving yards in every season except his rookie season in 2013 and an injury-shortened 2015. Having a running back with the receiving abilities Bell possesses is going to boost Darnold's production immensely.

The metrics surrounding Darnold are not overly impressive, but it is important to remember 2018 was his rookie season, and there is plenty of reason to believe he will improve. One area where Darnold performed well was with his aDoT (average depth of target). In 2018, Darnold's aDoT was nine yards, which ranked him in the top 31% of quarterbacks league-wide. One reason this stands out is that it shows he was not afraid to take shots down the field. Rookies often come into the league and have coaches that pare down the offense, which translates to dinking and dunking their way down the field. That was not the case with Darnold.

He also had 56 deep ball throws, which ranked him 20th among quarterbacks. This being said, his deep ball accuracy will need improvement moving forward. He completed just 26.8 percent of deep ball throws in 2018, which ranked him 30th in the league. Another year behind center should bring about improvement.

Another area where we could see improvement in Darnold's game is his average receiver yards after the catch (YAC). While YAC is not entirely in the quarterback's control, ball placement is very important to achieving a high total.  Last season, Darnold's receivers finished with an average YAC of 5.5, which ranked him right at the 50% mark. Another year behind center plus the addition of Bell and Jamison Crowder, who are YAC machines, will bring about improvement. Bell was third in the league in YAC in 2017, meanwhile, Jamison Crowder finished 2018 with 7.3 YAC, which was good for the top six percent in the league. Quincy Enunwa also averaged 7.4 YAC in 2018, which placed him in the top five percent of the league. 2019 looks good for Darnold from a YAC standpoint as his targets should be able to help add to his overall totals.

One final tidbit that instills confidence in Darnold moving forward are the sure hands of his number one target, Anderson. Darnold targeted Anderson 94 times in 2018, which resulted in a total of one drop. Anderson's drop rate of 1.1 percent placed him in the top 23% of the league. Anderson is listed as the number one wide receiver on the Jets' depth chart and will be counted on again as Darnold's number one wide receiver target. Anderson being sure-handed will only help Darnold improve in 2019.

Darnold has a lot going his way in 2019. He has one year of NFL experience under his belt, has a new offensive-minded head coach, and has talent at the skill positions surrounding him. The addition of Bell appears to be the biggest boom he could have asked for and will be a key cog in his development in 2019. As long as Darnold continues to grow and continues to get comfortable in Adam Gase's offense, he should increase his totals from a season ago. He currently has an ADP of 181 and is going as the 24th quarterback off the board. Be aggressive here and take him as your backup quarterback with an ADP of 150-160 instead of someone like Tom Brady.

More ADP Values and Sleepers


Check out RotoBaller's famous fantasy football draft sleepers and waiver wire pickups list, updated regularly!




POPULAR FANTASY TOOLS

Expert Advice
Articles & Tools
Import Your Leagues
Draft Rankings
Draft Simulator
Enter League Settings
Value Picks
Compare Any Players
News and Alerts

REAL-TIME FANTASY NEWS

Shemar Stewart

Not Practicing With College Team
Uchenna Nwosu

Seahawks Place Uchenna Nwosu on PUP List
Taylor Decker

Alim McNeill, Taylor Decker Placed on PUP List
Tyrion Davis-Price

Titans Waive Tyrion Davis-Price
Tre Harris

Chargers Relying on Tre Harris to Be Starting X Receiver
Eugenio Suárez

Eugenio Suarez Expected Back Friday
Micah Parsons

Will Become Highest-Paid Non-QB
MarShawn Lloyd

Vying for RB2 Role
Keandre Lambert-Smith

KeAndre Lambert-Smith Finds End Zone in First Training Camp Practice
Tyler Shough

Pushing for Fully Guaranteed Rookie Deal
Ar'Darius Washington

Goes on PUP List
Lamar Jackson

to be Even Better in 2025?
Tre Harris

Agrees to Terms on Rookie Deal
Justin Herbert

Off to Good Start at Training Camp
Jameson Williams

Earning Rave Reviews from Lions Coaches
Christian Mahogany

Expected to Start for Lions
Zach Allen

an Extension Candidate in Denver?
Zaire Franklin

May Miss Start of Training Camp
Portland Trail Blazers

Damian Lillard Returning to Portland
Mason Taylor

to Play "Crucial" Role in Jets' Offense
Paul Skenes

Pirates Could Preserve Paul Skenes in Second Half
T.J. Watt

Once Again Becomes Highest-Paid Non-QB
RJ Harvey

Reaches Agreement on Four-Year Rookie Contract
Rashee Rice

Chiefs Believe Rashee Rice Will Receive Two- to Four-Game Suspension
Brooks Barnhizer

Grabs 19 Points, Nine Boards in Summer League Win
Jeremiah Fears

Scores 22 Points in Summer League Loss to Thunder
Isaiah Collier

Collects 17 Points In Summer League Win
Caleb Houstan

Joins Hawks
AJ Johnson

Erupts for 25 Points in Summer League Loss
Washington Wizards

Leaky Black Logs Double-Double in Loss to Jazz
Connor Norby

Undergoes Surgery, Expected to Miss 6-8 Weeks
Trey Alexander

Tallies 25 Points in Losing Effort
Johni Broome

Records Second Consecutive Double-Double
Jahmir Young

Has Historic Summer League Outing
Rob Dillingham

Plays Big Role in Wednesday's Win
Tyrese Proctor

Erupts for 35 Points Against Kings
Cody Williams

Leads Jazz to Victory Against Wizards
LeBron James

Mavs Not Interested in "Gutting its Roster" For LeBron James
Josh Hart

Undergoes a Procedure on Right Finger
Jake Burger

Goes on 10-Day Injured List With Quad Strain
Sal Frelick

Dealing With Grade 1 Hamstring Strain, TBD for Start of Second Half
Chris Sale

Plays Catch
Los Angeles Clippers

Bradley Beal Heading to Los Angeles to Join Clippers After Contract Buyout
Rayan Rupert

Scores 24 Points in Summer League Win
Derik Queen

Collects Third Consecutive Double-Double in Summer League Loss
GG Jackson II

Records 13 Points in Summer League Action on Tuesday
Johni Broome

Logs Double-Double Against Wizards
DaRon Holmes II

Records Double-Double in Summer League Loss to Raptors
Kyle Schwarber

Named All-Star Game MVP
Harris English

Takes Stellar 2025 Performance to The Open Championship
Aldrich Potgieter

Seeks Better Result in Northern Ireland
Cameron Young

Likely to Hang Around at The Open Championship
Cameron Smith

Just Trying to Make the Cut at Royal Portrush
Jordan Spieth

Is Jordan Spieth Still a Natural for Links Style Golf?
Patrick Reed

a Viable Option at The Open Championship
PGA

Sungjae Im Wants to Rebound from Last Experience at Royal Portrush
Xander Schauffele

Looks to Defend His Claret Jug at Royal Portrush
Tony Finau

Trying to Turn Tide at Royal Portrush
Daniel Brown

Seeks a Rebound at The Open Championship
Rory McIlroy

Will be the Most Watched Player This Week at Royal Portrush
Daniel Berger

Trending Poorly as The Open Championship Looms
Clayton Kershaw

Retires Both Batters In ASG Appearance
Eugenio Suárez

Eugenio Suarez Hit In Pinky In All-Star Game, X-Rays Negative
MLB

NL All-Stars Win On Tie-Breaker Home Run Swing-Off
Robert MacIntyre

Hoping to Bounce Back at Open Championship
Shane Lowry

Hopes to Repeat at Royal Portrush
Brian Harman

Hopes to Rekindle Some Magic at the 153rd Open
UTA

Michael Carcone Returns to Utah on One-Year Contract
Bowen Byram

Signs Two-Year Deal with Sabres
Morgan Barron

Jets Re-Sign Morgan Barron for Two Years
PGA

Chris Gotterup Punches Ticket to Royal Portrush With Win at Scottish Open
Bryson DeChambeau

Hopes to Reverse Links Golf Struggle at the 153rd Open
Keegan Bradley

Needs to Find The Weekend at Royal Portrush for Ryder Cup Hopes
Oneil Cruz

Ties Home Run Derby Distance Record
Cal Raleigh

Wins 2025 Home Run Derby
Justin Thomas

Finishes Tied For 22nd at Genesis Scottish Open
Scottie Scheffler

Finishes Tied For Eighth at Genesis Scottish Open
Jon Rahm

Finishes in Second at LIV Andalucia
Tallison Teixeira

Suffers First-Round TKO
Derrick Lewis

Scores First-Round TKO
Michael Lorenzen

Royals Put Michael Lorenzen on Injured List With Oblique Strain
Stephen Thompson

Loses Controversial Split Decision
Gabriel Bonfim

Wins Controversial Split Decision
Calvin Kattar

Gets Outclassed At UFC Nashville
Steve Garcia

Extends His Win Streak
Nate Landwehr

Gets Knocked Out
Morgan Charrière

Morgan Charriere Scores Third-Round Knockout
Austen Lane

Suffers Submission Loss
Vitor Petrino

Scores First-Round Submission In Heavyweight Debut
Tuco Tokkos

Earns His First UFC Win
Junior Tafa

Unsuccessful in his Light-Heavyweight Debut
Chase Elliott

Charges to A Finish of Third At Sonoma
Chase Briscoe

Finishes Second With his First Career Road-Course Top-Five at Sonoma
Christopher Bell

Rollercoaster Day Ends With Top-5 Finish at Sonoma
William Byron

Maintains the Regular-Season Points Lead
Kyle Busch

Earns A Hard-Fought Top-10 Finish At Sonoma
Alex Ovechkin

Not Thinking About Retirement
PIT

Penguins Acquire Arturs Silovs
NHL

Nikolai Kovalenko Returns to Russia
Yoshinobu Yamamoto

Tosses Gem Against Giants
Shota Imanaga

Shuts Down Yankees on Sunday
Nathan Eovaldi

Dominant Again in Seventh Win
Tyler Reddick

Evades Near Upset to Remain Alive in In-Season Challenge
Ty Gibbs

One of Three Tylers to Make In-Season Challenge Semifinals
Kyle Larson

Curiously Mediocre at Sonoma Before Late-Race Crash
NASCAR

John H. Nemechek Edges Out Teammate to Make In-Season Challenge Semifinal
Alex Bowman

Ty Dillon Bumps Alex Bowman to Advance to In-Season Challenge Semifinal
Chicago White Sox

Billy Carlson Goes 10th Overall to White Sox
Cincinnati Reds

Steele Hall Selected Ninth by Cincinnati
Toronto Blue Jays

Blue Jays Select JoJo Parker with Eighth Overall Pick
Miami Marlins

Marlins Select Aiva Arquette With Seventh Overall Pick
Pittsburgh Pirates

Pirates Select Seth Hernandez with Sixth Overall Pick
Shane Van Gisbergen

Can Anyone Beat Shane van Gisbergen at Sonoma?
Tyler Reddick

Better at Sonoma Than Record Shows
Chase Elliott

a Prime DFS Option at Sonoma
Michael McDowell

Struggling a Bit at Sonoma
NASCAR

Christopher Bell Has Never Finished Better Than Ninth at Sonoma
Ryan Blaney

Has Top-10 Upside at Sonoma
NASCAR

Sunday at Sonoma Will Likely Be a Long Race for Bubba Wallace
Kyle Larson

Is A Likely Top-Five Contender for Sonoma
Ryan Preece

Points Position Could Affect Race at Sonoma
Todd Gilliland

Struggling to Find Speed at Sonoma
Ty Gibbs

May be an Underrated Favorite to Compete for the Win at Sonoma
RANKINGS
C
1B
2B
3B
SS
OF
SP
RP

RANKINGS

QB
RB
WR
TE
K
DEF