Who Should I Start? Marcus Mariota or Cole Payton
Week 1 Projections
| Fant. Pts. |
Rush. Yds. |
Rush TD |
Rec. | Rec. Yds. |
Rec TD |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1.0 | 1.3 | 0.0 | 0.0 | 0.0 | 0.0 |
Marcus Mariota News
Sunday, August 16, 7:19 AM
Washington Commanders backup quarterback Marcus Mariota (knee) suffered a sprained MCL in the team's preseason opener on Friday against the Miami Dolphins that will likely keep him out for the rest of the preseason, sources told Adam Schefter of ESPN. It's unclear at this time if Mariota's knee injury will keep him sidelined going into Week 1 of the 2026 regular season versus the division-rival Philadelphia Eagles on Sunday, Sept. 13. Either way, the Commanders might be in the market for a veteran signal-caller to provide more depth behind starter Jayden Daniels. The other QBs on the roster are Sam Hartman and undrafted rookie Athan Kaliakmanis. The 32-year-old Mariota played a big part in the Commanders' offense a year ago with Daniels only playing in seven games due to injury, although he went 2-6 in his eight starts while throwing for 1,695 yards, 10 touchdowns, and seven interceptions in his 11 total games played.
Week 1 Projections
| Fant. Pts. |
Rush. Yds. |
Rush TD |
Rec. | Rec. Yds. |
Rec TD |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 0.0 | 0.0 | 0.0 | 0.0 | 0.0 | 0.0 |
Cole Payton News
Friday, June 19, 5:50 AM
Eagles quarterback Cole Payton currently sits fourth on the Philadelphia depth chart behind Jalen Hurts, Tanner McKee, and Andy Dalton, but his long-term fantasy upside is as high as any of the non-first-round quarterbacks selected in the 2026 NFL Draft. Both McKee and Dalton are in the final year of their contracts, and while the former could potentially seek greener pastures elsewhere in 2027, the soon-to-be-39-year-old Dalton may choose to call it a career after his 16th season in the league. Ironically, it is the lefty Payton who is perhaps best equipped to run an offense similar to the one helmed by Hurts, serving as the only other dual-threat quarterback on the roster after rushing for more than 2,000 yards and 30 touchdowns during his collegiate career at North Dakota State. At 6'3" and 223 pounds, and with the luxury of developing behind the scenes, Payton could eventually grow into one of the most fantasy-relevant backup quarterbacks in the league and is a must-stash player in superflex dynasty leagues.
Marcus Mariota vs. Cole Payton
Still trying to decide between Mariota and Payton? Check on the latest news to make sure both players are active and healthy. Our PPR projections show that Marcus Mariota is projected to score 1.0 points this week while Cole Payton is projected to score 0.0 points.
Latest Fantasy News
