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Who Should I Start For Fantasy Football Wild Card Round? Sam Darnold, Matthew Stafford, T.J. Hockenson

Sam Darnold - Fantasy Football Rankings, Draft Sleepers, NFL DFS Picks

Who should I start for Wild Card Weekend? Fantasy football outlooks for Sam Darnold, Matthew Stafford, T.J. Hockenson. Our expert fantasy football start 'em, sit 'em picks.

The Wild Card Round of the NFL playoffs wraps up tonight with a matchup between the Minnesota Vikings and Los Angeles Rams.

While most of the playoff games have been blowouts thus far, tonight’s contest should be a competitive matchup.

However, are Sam Darnold, Matthew Stafford, and T.J. Hockenson solid starting options for fantasy players? Let’s dive into it.

 

Should I Start Sam Darnold For Fantasy Football?

Darnold had an outstanding first year with Minnesota, averaging 18.1 fantasy points per game. The veteran quarterback finished with 35 passing touchdowns, one of the highest totals in the NFL. More importantly, he played well in the Week 8 matchup against the Rams.

The former USC star had 240 passing yards, two touchdowns, and 18.2 fantasy points in the loss. While Los Angeles has a solid defense, they have struggled against elite passing attacks. Darnold is an excellent starting option tonight.

 

Should I Start Matthew Stafford For Fantasy Football?

Unfortunately, Stafford struggled to end the regular season. He averaged 7.8 fantasy points per game over his final three contests, totaling one passing touchdown. Furthermore, the future Hall of Famer had under 190 passing yards in every matchup.

However, Stafford has had some productive moments this year, totaling 20 passing touchdowns. His best fantasy performance came in Week 8 against the Vikings, totaling 279 passing yards, four touchdowns, and 24.8 fantasy points. While he won’t play that well in the rematch, Stafford is a solid starting option.

 

Should I Start T.J. Hockenson For Fantasy Football?

The star tight end missed the first half this year recovering from a torn ACL. Unfortunately, he didn’t score a touchdown during the regular season. Hockenson averaged 6.6 half-point PPR fantasy points per game, totaling single digits in 80% of the contests.

Yet, the veteran is an excellent fantasy option tonight against the Rams. Los Angeles struggled to slow down tight ends during the regular season, surrendering 13.3 fantasy points per game, the second-most in the NFL. Last week, they gave up 14.8 fantasy points and a receiving touchdown to Noah Fant.

 

More Fantasy Football Start 'Em, Sit 'Em Picks

Jacory Croskey-Merritt - Fantasy Football Rankings, Draft Sleepers, NFL DFS Picks

Fact or Fiction: Fantasy Football Outlooks for Malik Willis, Jacory Croskey-Merritt, Luther Burden III, Jayden Higgins, Jake Tonges

Welcome back to Fact or Fiction, RotoBaller's weekly look at some of the NFL's most shocking performances. If you're reading this in search of lineup advice for Week 18, I first want to say that I'm sorry your commissioner has your league playing in Week 18. If you're here because you're playing DFS this week or […]


Dylan Sampson - Fantasy Football Rankings, Draft Sleepers, NFL Rookies

Dylan Sampson, Raheim Sanders, Michael Carter: Start ‘Em, Sit ‘Em Picks for Fantasy Football Week 17

Cleveland Browns running backs Dylan Sampson (hand) and Raheim Sanders will have more opportunities to touch the football in Week 17. The Browns starting RB, Quinshon Judkins (leg, ankle) is out for the season after suffering a gruesome leg injury in Week 16. Arizona Cardinals running back Michael Carter also stands to benefit workload-wise since […]


Kenneth Gainwell - Fantasy Football Rankings, Waiver Wire Sleepers

Kenneth Gainwell, Tony Pollard, Jaylen Warren: Start ‘Em, Sit ‘Em Picks for Fantasy Football Week 17

The running back position is quite interesting in championship week. Any starting RB as well as a handful of RB2s should be considered for starting lineups. Even the "lower-tier" starting RBs can be quite valuable for fantasy teams. We just saw Tennessee Titans running back Tony Pollard, who was one of the biggest draft busts […]


Jakobi Meyers - Fantasy Football Rankings, Draft Sleepers, NFL Injury News

Parker Washington, Wan'Dale Robinson, Jakobi Meyers: Start ‘Em, Sit ‘Em Picks for Fantasy Football Week 17

Week 17 is coming up. Whether you're fighting for your fantasy football league championship, hoping to get some winnings from placing highly, or just trying to avoid being the toilet bowl loser, finding who to start at wide receiver is always important. Many WRs, like Tampa Bay Buccaneers wideout Emeka Egbuka, have been tough to […]


Quentin Johnston - Fantasy Football Rankings, Draft Sleepers, NFL DFS Lineup Picks

Fact or Fiction: Fantasy Football Outlooks for Ashton Jeanty, Jaylen Warren, Parker Washington, Quentin Johnston, A.J. Barner

Welcome back to Fact or Fiction, RotoBaller's weekly look at some of the NFL's most shocking performances. For most of you, this is it: the Super Bowl of fantasy football. Championship week is here, so only one thing matters: winning your fantasy football game. With that in mind, there's no looking ahead this week. There's no […]




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REAL-TIME FANTASY NEWS

Jordan Walker

to Run More in 2026?
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Royals Acquire Mitch Spence From A's
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Moves to 60-Day Injured List
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May Miss First Few Spring Games
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Throws a Bullpen on Thursday
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Cleared From Concussion Restrictions
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Back in Action at Spring Training
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Will be Delayed in Reporting to Camp
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to Have Elbow Surgery
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Agustin Ramirez Working to Improve his Defense
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Davis Schneider Likely to Platoon in Left Field
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Records 26-Save Shutout Against Czechia
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Reaches 95 MPH During Live BP
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to Miss Multiple Weeks
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Gets Upgraded to Probable
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to Miss All of 2026 After Shoulder Surgery
Myles Turner

Will Not Play Thursday
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is Downgraded to Doubtful
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Leaves Camp Due to Personal Matter
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to Work in Center Field in Camp
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Available Again on Thursday
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Ruled Out on Thursday
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Resting on Thursday
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Will Likely Miss the Rest of the Season
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Carrying Momentum Into Pebble Beach
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Set for 2026 PGA Tour Debut at Pebble Beach
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Looks to Build on Steady Form at Pebble Beach
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Tuned in for AT&T Pebble Beach Pro-Am
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a Boom-or-Bust Play at Pebble Beach
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Heating Up at the Right Time for Pebble Beach
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Starting Wednesday
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Good to Go for Olympic Opener
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Healthy for Olympics
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Enters Olympics in Red-Hot Form
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Juho Lammikko Returns to Switzerland
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Misses Olympics
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Undecided on Playing Future, Leaning Towards Returning in 2026?
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