Fernando Mendoza · Sam Darnold · 2026 week 9

Fernando Mendoza or Sam Darnold?

Wondering who you should start this week — Fernando Mendoza or Sam Darnold? The start/sit call and the numbers behind it are below, plus who wins a straight-up trade. Rebuilt nightly.

Start Sam DarnoldSam Darnold projects ahead of Fernando Mendoza in week 9, drawing LV — the 5th-ranked matchup for QBs. The numbers behind the call are below; overrule them with your eyes open.

Player	Wk 9	Proj (PPR)	Matchup	Form L3	Trade value	Status
Fernando Mendoza	–	–	–	2.2	7	healthy
Sam Darnold START	@ LV	17.1	5th · soft	15.5	119	Out

QBs vs LV recently: Josh Allen 18.3 pts (W6) · Matthew Stafford 18.5 pts (W7) · Geno Smith 19 pts (W8).

🎓 The coach's read

At least one of these players has no projection on file — no comparison made.
Sam Darnold faces LV, 5th most generous to QBs.
Sam Darnold is flagged OUT.

Who wins a straight-up trade?

Sam Darnold carries the higher trade value — 119 against 7 (a 94% gap). In a one-for-one, the side receiving Sam Darnold gets the most. Momentum: Fernando Mendoza +7 and Sam Darnold -153 over the last 30 days.

Open in Start/Sit (any scoring) Open in the Trade Analyzer

More QB decisions

Fernando Mendoza or Daniel Jones?Fernando Mendoza or Deshaun Watson?Fernando Mendoza or Shedeur Sanders?Sam Darnold or Geno Smith?Sam Darnold or Jacoby Brissett?Sam Darnold or Gardner Minshew II?

All numbers are the 2026 season, refreshed nightly.