The Minnesota Vikings will face the Jacksonville Jaguars in Week 10. Here’s the latest fantasy football news and advice to help you with your lineups this week and moving forward, especially regarding QB Sam Darnold.
Is Sam Darnold Playing in Week 10?
Darnold is not listed on the injury report this week, so barring any setbacks, he is on track to play this weekend.
We’ll continue to monitor the Vikings’ injury report. You can also visit and bookmark our NFL Injury Tracker and Fantasy News Tracker for the latest updates.
Should You Start or Sit Sam Darnold in Week 10?
Sam Darnold was in control from start to finish against the Colts on Sunday night, completing 28 of his 34 passes for 290 yards and three scores in the win. He had two interceptions, but the overall efficiency was back to where it was early in the season as he seems to have rediscovered his footing after a messy game in London against the Jets (over 8.5 yards per pass in three straight games).
Jaguars’ pass defense, 2024:
- 29th in touchdown rate
- 30th in interception rate
- 30th in yards per pass
- 30th in completion percentage
- 32nd in passer rating
This Jacksonville defense is about as vulnerable as it gets. With Minnesota having very little room for error in the tight NFC North, I’d expect them to come in with a strong plan to pick at every weakness.
I’m not sure that Darnold will be a top-10 play for me in Week 11 or 12 (Titans and Bears), but I have no reservations about ranking him as such this weekend.
Are you looking for start/sit advice for other players in your lineup? Read our Week 10 Fantasy Start-Sit Advice Cheat Sheet for every fantasy-relevant player in every game.
Sam Darnold’s Fantasy Points Projection in Week 10
As of Sunday, Darnold is projected to score 20.5 fantasy points in Week 10. This includes 265.5 passing yards, 1.7 passing touchdowns, and 1 interceptions. It also includes 5.7 rushing attempts for 20.9 yards and 0.3 touchdowns.
Check out the free PFN Fantasy Start-Sit Optimizer for the latest projections and advice for your lineups this week.
PFN Insight on the Jaguars’ Defense
The Jacksonville Jaguars’ best finish defensively was 13th back in Week 2, and since then, the best they have achieved was 16th against Green Bay in Week 8. That tells you all you need to know about how this group has been performing, with six of their nine games ranking outside the top 20 in that game week.
Their saving grace has been that they have been a solid unit against the run, but that is more than balanced out by being one of the worst teams in the league against the pass. They are also a bottom-three team in yards per play, points per drive, overall defensive EPA, turnover rate, and red-zone efficiency.
Do you want more insight on all other defensive units across the NFL? Head over to our PFN Defense+ Rankings for analysis on all 32 teams.
Sam Darnold’s Fantasy Ranking
Our Weekly Consensus PPR Rankings are below — both positional and overall. They were last updated at 8:30 AM ET on Sunday, January 12. If you're in a Superflex league, make sure you check out our Wild Card Superflex Rankings.
Wild Card QB PPR Rankings
1) Josh Allen | BUF (vs. DEN)
2) Lamar Jackson | BAL (vs. PIT)
3) Jalen Hurts | PHI (vs. GB)
4) Jayden Daniels | WAS (at TB)
5) Baker Mayfield | TB (vs. WAS)
6) Sam Darnold | MIN (at LAR)
7) Bo Nix | DEN (at BUF)
8) Justin Herbert | LAC (at HOU)
9) Jordan Love | GB (at PHI)
10) Matthew Stafford | LAR (vs. MIN)
11) Russell Wilson | PIT (at BAL)
12) C.J. Stroud | HOU (vs. LAC)
13) Justin Fields | PIT (at BAL)
14) Kenny Pickett | PHI (vs. GB)
15) Jimmy Garoppolo | LAR (vs. MIN)
16) Kyle Trask | TB (vs. WAS)
17) Devin Leary | BAL (vs. PIT)
18) Nick Mullens | MIN (at LAR)
19) Mitchell Trubisky | BUF (vs. DEN)
20) Marcus Mariota | WAS (at TB)
21) Jarrett Stidham | DEN (at BUF)
22) Easton Stick | LAC (at HOU)
23) Davis Mills | HOU (vs. LAC)
24) Malik Willis | GB (at PHI)
Minnesota Vikings at Jacksonville Jaguars Insights
Minnesota Vikings
Team: The Vikings have been sacked on 10.4% of their dropbacks, the second-highest rate in the league (Browns: 11.3%).
QB: After returning from an ugly London performance (14-of-31 against the Jets), Sam Darnold has completed 68-of-86 passes (79.1%).
Offense: The Vikings have been trailing for a league-low 16% of their offensive snaps (the Chargers are the only other team under 25.8% this season).
Defense: Take your shots deep – no team has seen opponents throw 15-plus yards downfield more times per game this season (9.1 per game).
Fantasy: T.J. Hockenson played only 45.1% of the snaps on Sunday, his season debut (2023: 79.6%), but he did post an 11.5-yard aDOT (2023: 7.6).
Betting: The Vikings are 7-2-2 ATS (77.8%) in their 11 road games.
Jacksonville Jaguars
Team: Jacksonville is 2-7 with five losses coming by five or fewer points.
QB: Trevor Lawrence’s passer rating, completion percentage, and touchdown-to-interception ratio when not pressured are all tracking down for a second straight season.
Offense: The Jaguars average 0.67 plays of 50-plus yards per game this season, trailing only the Ravens’ 0.78 mark.
Defense: Jacksonville is allowing a first down on 39.1% of passes, the second-highest rate in the league (worse: Panthers).
Fantasy: Parker Washington earned a 20% target share and racked up 103 air yards. Jacksonville is an underdog or favored by fewer than two points in seven of their final eight games, a game script that makes this waiver wire add an interesting option coming down the stretch.
Betting: Unders are 10-3 in the Jaguars last 13 games when being installed as a home underdog.