Fantasy Football Impact: Sam Darnold to the Carolina Panthers

The next move in this offseason’s NFL quarterback musical chairs has come. On Monday, the Carolina Panthers acquired Sam Darnold from the New York Jets for three draft picks (2021 sixth-round, second and fourth-rounders in 2022). Carolina will also pick up Darnold’s fifth-year option for 2022.

Darnold is lined up to replace Teddy Bridgewater, who is now the next quarterback domino who’ll be surely on the move. Bridgewater got one unremarkable season as the Panthers’ starting quarterback (3,733 yards, 15 touchdowns, 11 interceptions in 15 games).

Right off the bat, Darnold is getting an upgraded situation in Carolina. He’s trading Adam Gase for Panthers’ offensive coordinator Joe Brady. D.J. Moore is better than any Jets’ wide receiver Darnold had to work with, a least in 2020 and perhaps ever. He’ll also reunite with wide receiver Robby Anderson, who caught 11 touchdowns passes from Darnold over the 2018 and 2019 seasons. The return to health of running back Christian McCaffrey practically goes without saying as a top-end weapon for Darnold. New tight end Dan Arnold is an interesting player.

McCaffrey’s absence for all but three games is notable, but Bridgewater came in at just QB19 in fantasy last year. From Week 1-Week 10, covering all five of his multiple passing touchdown games before a knee injury cost him Week 11, he was QB10.

With three seasons and 38 starts under his belt, Darnold still won’t turn 24 until June. The rough start to his career is punctuated by these notes, via Chris Towers of CBS Sports.

–Among 28 quarterbacks with at least 1,200 pass attempts over the first three seasons of their career since 2000, Darnold’s 6.64 yards per attempt is the seventh-lowest; his touchdown rate of 3.7% is the fourth-lowest; and his interception rate of 3.2% is the seventh-highest.–

This is where it’s notable that Bridgewater’s career touchdown rate is lower than Darnold’s (3.4 percent).

Simply escaping the stifling wrath of Gase is reason for optimism (see Ryan Tannehill). With five rushing touchdowns in his career, Darnold also has something to offer with his legs.

If Darnold has any stock left in dynasty leagues, the arrow is now pointing up with a change of scenery. In re-draft formats this year he’s a QB2 in leagues with 12 or more teams, with potential as a streamer in the right matchups.

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