Who Should I Start? Marcus Mariota or Bo Nix

Friday, January 2, 12:26 PM

Washington Commanders quarterback Marcus Mariota (hand) has officially been ruled out for Sunday's Week 18 regular-season finale against the division-rival Philadelphia Eagles, according to Nicki Jhabvala of The Athletic. Mariota was a stretch to make it back to play in the final game of the year after injuring his hand in the Week 16 loss to the Eagles. The 32-year-old veteran was held out of the Christmas Day loss to the Dallas Cowboys in Week 17 and will now miss a second straight game to end the year. Journeyman QB Josh Johnson will make a second straight start for the Commanders. Mariota ended up playing in 11 games (eight starts) this year while filling in for the injured Jayden Daniels, and he held his own, throwing for 1,695 yards, 10 touchdowns, and seven interceptions. He added 297 yards on the ground and a TD.

Friday, January 9, 3:24 PM

Across 17 games in 2025, Denver Broncos quarterback Bo Nix completed 63.4% of his pass attempts for 3,931 yards, 25 touchdowns, and 11 interceptions. The 25-year-old also provided value with his legs, rushing for 356 yards and five touchdowns on 83 attempts. However, Nix closed the regular season with two of his least impressive passing performances of the year. Across two games against the Kansas City Chiefs and Los Angeles Chargers, Nix threw for just 323 yards, one touchdown, and one interception. Nix was also not particularly efficient throughout the season, averaging 6.4 yards per pass on an NFL-leading 612 attempts. The Broncos have a bye through the first round of the AFC playoffs, so Nix's first postseason opponent is not yet known. However, his poor close to the regular season and season-long inefficiency as a passer could make him tough for fantasy managers in playoff leagues to trust.