Who Should I Start? Marcus Mariota or De'Von Achane

Wednesday, October 22, 2:32 PM

Washington Commanders quarterback Marcus Mariota will make his third start of the season on Monday night against the Kansas City Chiefs, but fantasy managers shouldn't expect much production in a difficult matchup. Mariota has been serviceable in his limited action, completing 64.6% of his passes with a 3:1 touchdown-to-interception ratio, while adding some mobility outside the pocket. However, he now faces a Chiefs defense that ranks among the league's best, allowing the fifth-fewest yards per game and just 17.7 points per contest, good for third in the NFL. To make matters worse, Mariota could once again be operating without two of his top pass-catchers as Deebo Samuel (heel) and Terry McLaurin (quad) both remain questionable. With limited weapons and a brutal defensive matchup, Mariota lacks fantasy upside and should remain on the waiver wire in all formats outside of deep superflex leagues.

Wednesday, October 22, 1:35 PM

Miami Dolphins running back De'Von Achane has 89 more touches than the next closest Dolphins RB this year. "I am looking to (diversify the offense), but there are a lot of factors that play into that for it to be executed," head coach Mike McDaniel said when asked by ESPN's Marcel Louis-Jacques whether he was OK with the current RB split or if the team is looking for ways to "diversify the offense." McDaniel pointed to the game against the Buffalo Bills as the ideal touch distribution for their backfield, when Achane had 12 carries and rookie Ollie Gordon II had nine carries. Through seven games in 2025, Achane has a healthy 212 touches. Fantasy managers are surely happy about that, but the touch distribution could change if the Dolphins can be more competitive in games. It sounds like Miami would like to get Gordon more work, but things just haven't worked out that way. Until further notice, Achane is a set-and-forget RB1 with a high floor given his hefty volume.