Each week the Noise highlights under-started names who he believes are destined to torch the competition. To qualify, each player must be started in fewer than 60 percent of Yahoo! leagues. Speaking as an accountability advocate, I will post results, whether genius or moronic, the following week (Scoring thresholds – QB: 18 fantasy points; RB: 12 fantasy points [10 for shockers], WR: 11 fantasy points: TE: 10 fantasy points; .5 PPR).
Sam Darnold, Seahawks
| Start pct. | 31% on Yahoo |
| Matchup | vs. Cardinals |
| BetMGM line | Sea -7 |
| BetMGM total | 45.5 |
| BetAlytics proj. | NA pts |
Patience can be bitter, but its fruit sometimes tastes sweet.
For some supposed franchise cornerstones, it can take an eternity to live up to the top-pick hype. From the yesteryear archives, Kurt Warner, Rich Gannon and Vinny Testaverde immediately come to mind as quarterbacks who were considered late bloomers.
In this modern era, there is no better latecomer than Seattle’s Sam Darnold.
Selected at No. 3 overall in the 2018 NFL Draft by the New York Jets, the once widely-perceived foundational piece bounced around, making cameos in Carolina and San Francisco before the becoming the long-thought franchise face. Maturing at a snail’s pace similar to your 13-year-old brother, it only took a brilliant offensive mind (Kevin O’Connell) and arguably the NFC’s best wide receiver (Justin Jefferson) to fully engage the seventh-year breakout. Totaling over 4,300 pass yards and posting a 35:12 TD:INT split in 17 games last year, Darnold finished QB7 in traditional fantasy settings.
You could say his development was slower than a week in jail. And, no, this reveler isn’t speaking from experience. Maybe.
Entering 2025 with yet another team, the Marco Polo of passers continues to rack the mileage -- and the numbers. Many doubted last fall’s performance with the Vikings was merely an anomaly. Darnold, however, has steadily slayed in his still fresh Seattle surroundings. Though barely a QB1 (QB11) in per game production in Mike McDonald’s largely conservative scheme -- the Seahawks rank No. 2 in run rate among all NFL teams -- he’s top five in adjusted completion percentage at Pro Football Focus. Establishing an unbreakable bond with another elite receiving talent (Jaxon Smith-Njigba), he’s twirled at least two touchdowns in five of his last seven games.
This week, Seattle welcomes underwhelming Arizona to Starbucks City. Exploitable occasionally on the back-end defensively, the basement-dwelling Cardinals currently check in at No. 16 in dropback EPA D, conceding 6.47 pass yards per attempt, 243.4 pass yards per game and nine vertical touchdowns to the position. Ranking in the bottom half of most fantasy points allowed to QBs, Jonathan Gannon’s D isn’t quite the Kansas State of pro football. They have, however, been largely disappointing.
In their first clash in Week 4, Darnold posted a modest-but-useful 18.5 standard fantasy league points against the Desert Birds, combining for 266 yards and a touchdown. At home in the rematch, expect the gradual gainer to earn all the lattes.
Fantasy’s fine wine is proving he’s no one-year wonder.
Fearless Forecast: 265 passing yards, 2 passing touchdowns, 0 interceptions, 5 rushing yards, 21.8 fantasy points
Caleb Williams, Bears
| Start pct. | 37% on Yahoo |
| Matchup | vs. Giants |
| BetMGM line | Chi -3.5 |
| BetMGM total | 48.5 |
| BetAlytics proj. | NA pts |
Step into any number of Fannie May locations in the greater Chicago area and you’ll find chocolate -- lots and lots of chocolate. Whether packaged individually or placed in mystery boxes, the variable flavors offered can satisfy any sweet tooth.
Forrest Gump agrees.
Nestled inside their heritage assortment one can indulge in sea salt caramel, buttercreams and chocolate-covered nuts. All are tasty, but none rivals the other confectionary found in the variety pack -- Pixies.
A symphony of seduction, the confectionery is an amalgamation of milk chocolate, velvety caramel and fresh pecans. Simply put: They’re awesome.
For a franchise with a long history of inept quarterbacks, Williams’ sweet play has also largely satisfied. Last year’s No. 1 overall pick has taken a noticeable step forward in this football evolution. As his standings in several completion percentage categories clearly show, he’s still unrefined, but on pace for 4,071 passing yards and 26 passing touchdowns, he’s seemingly bound to reset the QB record books in the Windy City. As a result, he's graduated among the QB1 class four times in seven games. Naysayers remain skeptical, but the surface numbers generated tell a far more compelling story.
In Week 10, the fantasy ferocious Bear should mangle Brian Daboll’s vulnerable Giants secondary as though it was DiCaprio in ‘The Revenant' -- or the Cincinnati Bengals.
Though more beatable on the ground, New York enters the double-digit weeks in the dropback EPA defense bottom half. This season, the G-Men have surrendered an ultra generous 7.01 pass yards per attempt, 270.9 total yards per game, 18 total touchdowns and the seventh-most fantasy points to QBs.
Williams has only topped 20 fantasy points in three starts this fall, but playing for an organization known for its historical “Sweetness,” he should tickle the taste buds with statistical satisfaction.
Bank on him being a top-10 QB in back-to-back weeks.
Fearless Forecast: 244 passing yards, 2 passing touchdowns, 0 interceptions, 26 rushing yards, 22.8 fantasy points