Who Should I Start? Marcus Mariota or Baker Mayfield

Monday, September 15, 3:41 PM

If Washington Commanders quarterback Jayden Daniels (knee) cannot play in Week 3, backup Marcus Mariota could be forced into action against his old team, the Las Vegas Raiders. After undergoing an MRI exam following last Thursday night's loss to the Green Bay Packers, Daniels was diagnosed with a sprained knee, which puts his availability for Week 3 this Sunday in question. Daniels' injury isn't considered a long-term one, but his status is in doubt for this weekend. The Commanders surely will play it safe with the 24-year-old Daniels. Mariota, 31, hasn't started in the NFL since he made 13 starts with the Atlanta Falcons in 2023. Since then, he's appeared in six games with the Philadelphia Eagles and Commanders, throwing for 528 yards, five touchdowns, and a pick on 67 pass attempts. Mariota wasn't bad in spot duty in 2024 with Washington, although he'd be a low-upside, low-end QB2 in superflex leagues in Week 3 if he makes the start against the Raiders.

Tuesday, September 16, 12:47 AM

Tampa Bay Buccaneers quarterback Baker Mayfield completed 25 of 38 passes for 215 yards and threw two touchdowns while adding 33 yards on three rushes in a 20-19 win against the Texans. Mayfield was resilient in this game, with Tampa Bay down both of their starting tackles against a vaunted Houston front that applied a ton of pressure on him. He took four sacks overall, but was able to make enough plays at the end of the game. Mayfield had an iconic scramble on a 4th and 10 play to extend the Buccaneers' final drive, which ultimately ended with a Rachaad White goal-line touchdown with six seconds remaining to win the game. The 30-year-old has added more value with his legs last season and into this season so far, rushing for 72 yards on eight carries. He has the 10th most rushing since the start of last season with 450, second most passing touchdowns with 46, and his 5,332 combined passing and rushing yards only trails Lamar Jackson since the start of last season. Mayfield is one of the more consistent performers in fantasy at quarterback and should be fired up again next week against the Jets.