Dynasty Roundtable: Biggest First Quarter Surprise

NFL Week 5 represents the end of the first quarter of the season. Every team has completed 23.53% of their regular schedule, and week-to-week variance has gotten a chance to wash out. We gathered our staff to ask:

Who is your biggest dynasty surprise?

QB Sam Darnold, Minnesota

Jason Wood - I was initially skeptical that Sam Darnold would transform into an effective quarterback under Kevin O'Connell, especially given that he was signed as a temporary solution until rookie J.J. McCarthy was ready. However, no quarterback has been more consistently effective than Darnold through the first four games. The Vikings are 4-0, with a top-four offense and defense. If you've watched their games, it's evident that this success is not a fluke.

Darnold has been outstanding, completing 69% of his passes for 932 yards and leading the league with 11 touchdown passes. He currently leads the NFL in touchdown passes, touchdown rate, adjusted yards per attempt, and passer rating. What makes this even more impressive is that he's achieved these numbers without his All-Pro tight end and No. 2 receiver, Jordan Addison, for much of the month. It's difficult to argue for 20 other quarterbacks ahead of Darnold, especially considering he is only 27.

Dan Hindery -  Darnold has been my biggest surprise this season. Coming in, I was optimistic about the talent around him and the offensive scheme, expecting him to post good fantasy numbers and keep the top weapons fantasy relevant. However, I also assumed Darnold would be a better fantasy quarterback than an actual NFL quarterback. He started the year with a career 63-to-56 touchdown-to-interception ratio and 13 lost fumbles. Not only has Darnold exceeded my expectations, but he has also avoided the costly mistakes that plagued him in previous stops. So far, he has a solid 11-to-3 touchdown-to-interception ratio and ranks as one of the top fantasy performers through the season's first quarter.

This turnaround has changed my opinion of Darnold and made me rethink how I value younger quarterbacks. Darnold, Baker Mayfield, Justin Fields, and Jared Goff have all been top fantasy quarterbacks this season after being discarded by the teams that originally drafted them. These examples are essential to remember, as other talented young quarterbacks will struggle early with their original teams but succeed in later opportunities.

WR Jayden Reed, Green Bay

Andy Hicks - Before the season began, I had the Green Bay receiver room pegged with Christian Watson as the WR1 and Reed, Dontayvian Wicks, and Romeo Doubs sharing the rest among Josh Jacobs and the tight ends. Reed was well down my dynasty rankings as a result. He lucked into eight touchdowns, but his numbers were consistently at a WR3 level at best. Ultimately, Watson has proven again he cannot stay healthy through bad luck or poor management. With Watson out of the equation, the whole pecking order makes more sense, even temporarily. Reed is the lead guy. Clearly, Wicks will have good games with a mix of nothing. Doubs will consistently be in the WR3/flex area. Watson will be back. Who knows for how long? All four wide receivers are locked into next season, allowing the team to figure out who to let walk and who to lock up long-term. With an extra year into 2026, Reed and Wicks seem the most likely to hang around.