Should I drop Kirk Cousins for Sam Darnold?

One scoring page covers these positions; reception points do not affect this comparison.

THE DROP / ADD CALL

Lean: keep Kirk Cousins

Kirk Cousins retains a 17.2 FP remaining-schedule advantage. The current-week projection also gives no clear reason to make this drop. Check for a lower-cost roster spot if you need coverage. These are player forecast totals, not extra starter points or playoff-odds gains for your team.

Forecast updated Oct 30, 2:55 PM ET

PLAYER TO DROP

Kirk Cousins

QB · LV · vs NYJ

Stats & schedule ›

16.5FF projected FP

Nov 1, 1:00 PM ET

60.2%rostered on ESPN+0.79 pp recent change

PLAYER TO ADD

Sam Darnold

QB · SEA · vs CHI

Stats & schedule ›

15.3FF projected FP

Nov 2, 8:15 PM ET

30.4%rostered on ESPN-0.17 pp recent change

WHY THIS MOVE?

A better week is only part of the decision.

Kirk Cousins is 60.2% rostered; Sam Darnold is 30.4% rostered on ESPN. Ownership describes availability across leagues, not yours. Compare the weeks you need covered and the value you give up. A replacement can help now while weakening a later lineup.

Kirk Cousins

Kirk Cousins projects for 16.5 Standard points against NYJ this week. His recent scoring average is 17.6 FP. He is rostered in 60.2% of ESPN leagues, with a reported gain of 0.79 percentage points. Roster trends measure manager activity, not a guarantee of playing time or availability in your league.

Fortified Fantasy: 16.5 FP
ESPN: 16.6 FP
Sleeper: 16.4 FP
FantasyPros: 16.0 FP
Boosted Trees: 15.1 FP
Workload: 16.7 FP
Monte Carlo: 16.6 FP

Boosted Trees: Experimental · saved Oct 27, 12:03 AM ET
Workload: Experimental · includes FantasyPros stat inputs · saved Oct 28, 9:08 PM ET
Monte Carlo: Experimental · central 80%: 6.9–26.7 FP · saved Oct 28, 9:16 PM ET

Sam Darnold

Sam Darnold projects for 15.3 Standard points against CHI this week. His recent scoring average is 11.1 FP. The defensive matchup raises the FF estimate by 1.25%. He is rostered in 30.4% of ESPN leagues, with a reported decline of 0.17 percentage points. Roster trends measure manager activity, not a guarantee of playing time or availability in your league.

Fortified Fantasy: 15.3 FP
ESPN: 14.5 FP
Sleeper: 14.9 FP
FantasyPros: 16.5 FP
Boosted Trees: 16.4 FP
Workload: 14.2 FP
Monte Carlo: 14.8 FP

Boosted Trees: Experimental · saved Oct 27, 12:03 AM ET
Workload: Experimental · includes FantasyPros stat inputs · saved Oct 28, 9:08 PM ET
Monte Carlo: Experimental · central 80%: 6.2–23.7 FP · saved Oct 28, 9:16 PM ET

Roster snapshot Oct 30, 2:30 PM ET. Saved models support the assessment; they are not independent votes. A full roster and league settings are needed to evaluate starter impact.

THE HOLD, NOT JUST THE CLAIM

What comes after this week?

The Drop / Add assessment uses the immediate and future FF outlook together. Totals describe the player, not extra points for your roster. Weeks 15–18 are a calendar view; your league’s playoff weeks may differ. Green highlights the higher displayed projection when both outlooks are known; ties and incomplete comparisons stay neutral.

Window	Kirk Cousins	Sam Darnold
Next 3 weeks	44.8 FP3/3 scheduled games projected	49.3 FPHigher projection3/3 scheduled games projected
Remaining regular-season schedule	162.2 FPHigher projection10/10 scheduled games projected · 1 bye	145.0 FP10/10 scheduled games projected · 1 bye
Weeks 15–18	70.0 FPHigher projection4/4 scheduled games projected	51.9 FP4/4 scheduled games projected

Weekly Drop / Add outlook

Week	Kirk Cousins	Sam Darnold
Week 8	16.5 FPvs NYJHigher projection	15.3 FPvs CHI
Week 9	15.0 FPvs SF	17.6 FPvs ARIHigher projection
Week 10	13.4 FPvs SEA	16.4 FPvs LVHigher projection
Week 11	15.4 FPvs DENHigher projection	BYE
Week 12	15.9 FPvs CLEHigher projection	13.0 FPvs SF
Week 13	BYE	16.2 FPvs DALHigher projection
Week 14	16.1 FPvs LACHigher projection	14.5 FPvs NYG
Week 15	15.3 FPvs DENHigher projection	13.7 FPvs PHI
Week 16	17.6 FPvs TENHigher projection	12.7 FPvs LAR
Week 17	22.5 FPvs ARIHigher projection	13.2 FPvs CAR
Week 18	14.5 FPvs KCHigher projection	12.3 FPvs LAR

Outlook updated Oct 30, 3:07 PM ET. Health and roles can change.

PICKUP RANKINGS · QB

More options. The same scale.

FF–Monte Carlo midpoint order within this pickup pool. The window connects two estimates; it is not a confidence interval. Rankings may differ from the FF points-only call above.

14.6 FP18.8 FP