Seahawks QB Sam Darnold out with quad injury, Drew Lock to start Week 9

Out (quadriceps). Fantasy football: Darnold is out this week with a quadriceps injury and will be week-to-week. Drew Lock returns from his elbow injury to…

By Fantasy Roundup Staff · November 4, 2026

Seattle Seahawks quarterback Sam Darnold has been ruled out for Sunday's game against the Arizona Cardinals with a quadriceps injury, coach Mike Macdonald announced Wednesday. Darnold sustained the injury at the end of Monday night's 34-17 loss to the Chicago Bears and will be week-to-week. Drew Lock, who missed the past two games with an elbow injury, will start Sunday with Jalen Milroe as his backup.

Darnold is not a fantasy option this week and his timeline remains uncertain. Lock returns to a favourable matchup: Arizona has allowed 22.3 half-PPR points a game to quarterbacks, the 2nd most of 32. Lock posted 17.1 half-PPR points a game in his two starts earlier this season, including 21.4 points against this same Arizona defence in Week 2. However, he is listed as questionable with the elbow issue, so check the inactive list about 90 minutes before kickoff.

Fantasy impact

Player by player

Sam Darnold

Darnold completed 17 of 34 passes for 188 yards, two touchdowns and one interception against Chicago in Week 8, managing 17.5 half-PPR points on 100 per cent of snaps. Over his last three games he has averaged 241.0 passing yards and 2.0 carries a game for 14.2 half-PPR points a game. His role is worth more than his recent points: he is scoring 2.1 half-PPR points a game below what his usage predicts (29th of 46 quarterbacks), suggesting some efficiency struggles beyond the volume.

With the quad injury keeping him out this week and his return date uncertain, Darnold does nothing for a fantasy lineup until he is cleared. He averaged 13.2 half-PPR points a game over seven starts this season, with completion percentage over expectation of -2.4 (35th of 46 quarterbacks) and expected points added per attempt of -0.08 (32nd of 46 quarterbacks) reflecting his inconsistent accuracy and efficiency. Drew Lock and Jalen Milroe are next on the depth chart.

Drew Lock

Lock is set to start Sunday after missing two games with an elbow injury, though he remains listed as questionable. In his two starts earlier this season, both Seattle victories, he averaged 211.0 passing yards and 1.0 carries a game for 17.1 half-PPR points a game. Against Arizona in Week 2 he completed 19 of 26 passes for 235 yards and three touchdowns with no interceptions, posting 21.4 half-PPR points on 100 per cent of snaps.

Lock is scoring 6.2 half-PPR points a game above what his usage predicts (3rd of 46 quarterbacks), suggesting some touchdown or big-play luck that may not repeat. His completion percentage over expectation of +6.9 ranks 8th of 46 quarterbacks and expected points added per attempt of 0.47 ranks 2nd of 46 quarterbacks, both strong efficiency marks. Arizona has allowed 22.3 half-PPR points a game to quarterbacks, the 2nd most of 32, making this an easier-than-most matchup for his return.

What to do

• Keep Sam Darnold on your bench or injured reserve this week and monitor his status as week-to-week.

• Check the inactive list about 90 minutes before kickoff to confirm Drew Lock is active, given his questionable tag with the elbow injury.

• Stream Drew Lock in deeper formats if you need a quarterback this week, as he faces the second-most generous defence against the position.

• If Lock cannot play, Jalen Milroe would start and is available in most formats as a deep streamer against Arizona's soft pass defence.