Should I drop Sam Darnold for Kirk Cousins?

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

THE DROP / ADD CALL

The right move depends on the weeks you need

Kirk Cousins is ahead by 1.2 FP this week, ahead by 17.2 FP across the remaining schedule, and ahead by 18.1 FP in Weeks 15–18. The horizons disagree or are too close for an unconditional drop. Use GamePlan to check your actual starters, bench depth and league playoff weeks. These are player forecast totals, not extra starter points or playoff-odds gains for your team.

Forecast updated Oct 30, 2:05 PM ET

PLAYER TO DROP

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

PLAYER TO ADD

Kirk Cousins

QB · LV · vs NYJ

Stats & schedule ›

16.5FF projected FP

Nov 1, 1:00 PM ET

60.2%rostered on ESPN+0.82 pp recent change

WHY THIS MOVE?

A better week is only part of the decision.

Sam Darnold is 30.4% rostered; Kirk Cousins is 60.2% 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.

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

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 0.82 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

Roster snapshot Oct 30, 1:30 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	Sam Darnold	Kirk Cousins
Next 3 weeks	49.3 FPHigher projection3/3 scheduled games projected	44.8 FP3/3 scheduled games projected
Remaining regular-season schedule	145.0 FP10/10 scheduled games projected · 1 bye	162.2 FPHigher projection10/10 scheduled games projected · 1 bye
Weeks 15–18	51.9 FP4/4 scheduled games projected	70.0 FPHigher projection4/4 scheduled games projected

Weekly Drop / Add outlook

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

Outlook updated Oct 30, 2:08 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