Sam Darnold Hip Scare, Kittle Plays & Drake Maye's INT Woes

The biggest story coming out of Wednesday night's Seahawks-Patriots opener is the health of Sam Darnold. Seattle's starting QB went down with a hip injury on just the 5th play of the opening drive and never returned, handing the reins to Drew Lock, who helped the Seahawks hang on for a 13-10 win. The good news arrived Thursday morning: HC Mike Macdonald confirmed tests ruled out a hip fracture, saying, "At this point, we are able to rule out a fracture. So there's some more tests to be done." A CT scan returned "encouraging but inconclusive" results per ESPN's Adam Schefter, with an MRI scheduled for Thursday. Macdonald acknowledged Darnold's Week 2 status against the Cardinals is already in question — meaning Drew Lock fantasy managers should be on high alert on the waiver wire right now.

On the other sideline, Drake Maye's rough night against Seattle is equally alarming for Patriots fantasy managers. Maye threw three second-half interceptions — including a crushing pick in the end zone when New England had a chance to tie or win in the closing seconds. He finished 23-of-33 for 178 yards with 1 TD and acknowledged his poor decisions were the difference. Compounding the concern: in his last two games versus the Seahawks specifically, Maye has now thrown 5 interceptions, taken 9 sacks, and gone 0-2. New England also lost newly acquired WR A.J. Brown to an ankle injury in his Patriots debut — he was downgraded to out and was spotted leaving the locker room in a boot, with no postgame update from coach Mike Vrabel.

These stories connect around a brutal Week 1 injury and turnover tax hitting two of the most fantasy-relevant QBs and a marquee receiver simultaneously. Darnold and Maye were both highly drafted in 2026 fantasy leagues; Brown's arrival in New England made him an immediate target-share darling. In one game, all three are suddenly clouded by health or performance concerns heading into the season's first full Sunday slate.

Thursday night brings another must-watch situation: George Kittle is off the 49ers' final injury report and will suit up against the Rams, completing a remarkable recovery from a January Achilles tear. Draft Sharks advises keeping him on the bench, however, noting he remained limited in practice and likely won't play his typical full-time role. Watch for any snap count or target updates out of the 49ers' early offensive series to gauge just how aggressive San Francisco plans to use Kittle tonight.