Best DraftKings DFS Showdown Captain for Super Bowl LX: Drake Maye vs. Sam Darnold

The Super Bowl will be played this upcoming Sunday, the No. 1-seeded Seattle Seahawks from the NFC take on the No. 2-seeded New England Patriots from the AFC at Levi's Stadium in Santa Clara, California. If you are still playing fantasy football, it is more than likely in DFS leagues.

On DraftKings, if you are playing in their popular showdown formats, you will have to pick a captain for your team. Your captain both costs more and gets x1.5 fantasy points. Many pick a quarterback as their captain because they generally have the most upside and score the most points. This leads to the question: Should you choose Drake Maye or Sam Darnold to be your captain for the Super Bowl?

QB Drake Maye, New England Patriots

New England Patriots quarterback Drake Maye (10) drops back to pass against the Denver Broncos during the first half in the 2026 AFC Championship Game at Empower Field at Mile High. | Ron Chenoy-Imagn Images

The Case For Drake Maye

It's not difficult to make a case for Maye. He's clearly the superior player and finished the season as the fantasy QB2 overall. There is also a chance he could be named the NFL MVP this week. Not only does his rushing ability give him more upside, but he's also a much better passer. In just his second year as an NFL quarterback, he threw for 4,394 yards, 31 touchdowns, and just eight interceptions, while rushing for 450 yards and four more touchdowns. The Patriots are also the underdogs in this game, which means Maye is expected to be forced to throw the ball more against a defense that just allowed 374 passing yards and three touchdowns in the NFC Championship Game.

The Case Against Drake Maye

Maye comes into this game with the tougher matchup. Seattle allowed the seventh-fewest fantasy points to quarterbacks this season. While you can look at the Pats being the underdogs as a positive for Maye, it also means they are expected to lose and score fewer points in the game. It certainly doesn't help his case that the last time we saw him in the AFC Championship Game, he threw for just 86 yards and no touchdowns against the Denver Broncos, who allowed more fantasy points to quarterbacks this season than the Seahawks just a week after a game against the Houston Texans in which he fumbled four times (two lost) and threw an interception. It could be a tough game for the MVP candidate.

QB Sam Darnold, Seattle Seahawks

Seattle Seahawks quarterback Sam Darnold (14) looks on before the 2026 NFC Championship Game against the Los Angeles Rams at Lumen Field. | Steven Bisig-Imagn Images

The Case For Sam Darnold

Darnold is coming off a huge game over the Los Angeles Rams in which he threw for 346 yards and three touchdowns. He seems to have put the doubts behind him and is now expected to lead the Seahawks to a Super Bowl title. There is also no doubt that Darnold has the best weapon in the game with Jaxon Smith-Njigba, who is more than capable of changing a game and making his quarterback look great.

The Case Against Sam Darnold

Darnold is the lesser of the two quarterbacks and is more than capable of giving a complete dud. If one of these teams is going to win this game by running the ball and hiding their quarterback, it's the Seahawks. His numbers this season are significantly worse than Maye's. He has thrown for 4,048 yards, 25 touchdowns, and 14 interceptions, and is a non-factor on the ground, rushing for just 95 yards and no touchdowns this season. You can make a strong case that Darnold has been better than Maye in the playoffs only because he has had a much easier schedule, which can be both misleading and leave him less prepared to face a much tougher defense that is allowing the 11th-fewest fantasy points to quarterbacks this season.

Drake Maye vs. Sam Darnold Verdict

Start Maye. He is the better quarterback with both more upside and a safer floor. This should be a no-brainer, there isn't a week all season when you should have started Darnold over Maye, and you shouldn't start now.