Who Should I Start? Jimmy Garoppolo or Marcus Mariota

Saturday, September 6, 9:56 PM

According to Dianna Russini of The Athletic, Los Angeles Rams head coach Sean McVay views quarterback Jimmy Garoppolo as a "starting-caliber" option. Matthew Stafford is in line to start on Sunday versus the Houston Texans. However, with the veteran signal-caller battling a lingering back injury, the Rams are confident Garoppolo can fill in admirably if necessary. From a fantasy standpoint, Stafford has had a better career. Still, with concerns about his health, Garoppolo may get a chance to start at some point moving ahead. The 33-year-old played for the Patriots, 49ers, and Raiders before arriving in Los Angeles in 2024 to suit up for the Rams. In 82 regular-season contests, he's thrown for 15,828 yards, 96 touchdowns, and 52 interceptions off 67.4% passing while also leading the 49ers to the Super Bowl in 2019. All things considered, Garoppolo doesn't have much fantasy value at the moment. If Stafford goes down this season due to the nagging back issue, Garoppolo could prove useful for those participating in deeper SuperFlex formats, especially with Puka Nacua and Davante Adams at his disposal.

Saturday, October 25, 6:21 PM

Washington Commanders quarterback Marcus Mariota will make his third start of the season on Monday Night Football against the Kansas City Chiefs. With Jayden Daniels (hamstring) ruled out early in the week, Washington will rely on the 31-year-old quarterback for a big primetime matchup. Mariota led Washington to a 1-1 record and has been solid in both of his starts, completing 31 of 48 pass attempts for 363 yards, three touchdowns, and an interception while also adding value with his legs, with eight carries for 60 yards and a rushing score. And he'll be getting a big boost in Week 8 with both top wide receivers, Terry McLaurin (quadriceps) and Deebo Samuel Sr. (heel), cleared from the injury report and set to play on Monday. Mariota will face a Chiefs defense that just pitched a shutout in Week 7 against the Raiders, but has been mediocre against the pass outside of that game, ranking 21st in dropback success rate (48.9%). The veteran QB has value as a streamer in a potential high-scoring matchup, ranking as RotoBaller's QB14 for Week 8.