Sam Darnold · Tyler Shough · 2026 week 9

Sam Darnold or Tyler Shough?

Wondering who you should start this week — Sam Darnold or Tyler Shough? 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 2.1 PPR points clear of Tyler Shough 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
Sam Darnold START	@ LV	17.4	5th · soft	15.5	189	Out
Tyler Shough	vs CLE	15.3	25th · tough	14.5	801	healthy

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

QBs vs CLE recently: Tyler Huntley 13.4 pts (W6) · Cam Ward 6.7 pts (W7) · Aaron Rodgers 5.9 pts (W8).

🎓 The coach's read

Sam Darnold projects 2.1 points higher in PPR.
Sam Darnold faces LV, 5th most generous to QBs.
Sam Darnold is flagged OUT.
Tyler Shough faces CLE, 25th most generous to QBs.

Who wins a straight-up trade?

Tyler Shough carries the higher trade value — 801 against 189 (a 76% gap). In a one-for-one, the side receiving Tyler Shough gets the most. Momentum: Sam Darnold -351 and Tyler Shough -390 over the last 30 days.

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

More QB decisions

Sam Darnold or Bryce Young?Sam Darnold or Aaron Rodgers?Sam Darnold or Kyler Murray?Tyler Shough or Jared Goff?Tyler Shough or Jayden Daniels?Tyler Shough or Jordan Love?

All numbers are the 2026 season, refreshed nightly.