Who Should I Start? Marcus Mariota or Gardner Minshew II


Week 9 Projections

Fant.
Pts.
Rush.
Yds.
Rush
TD
Rec. Rec.
Yds.
Rec
TD
0.0 0.0 0.0 0.0 0.0 0.0

Marcus Mariota News

Marcus Mariota to Return to Practice This Week

Monday, October 26, 10:12 AM

Washington Commanders head coach Dan Quinn said on Monday that veteran quarterback Marcus Mariota (knee) will return to practice as the team comes out of their Week 7 bye, according to Nicki Jhabvala of The Athletic. Mariota is recovering from a sprained right MCL in his knee and missed the two games before the Week 7 bye. The 32-year-old veteran could be back on the practice field this week, but it does not guarantee that he will be active for the Sunday night game in Week 8 against the division-rival Philadelphia Eagles. Before his knee injury, Mariota was forced into action early on in 2026 after Jayden Daniels suffered a dislocated left elbow in the Week 2 loss to the division-rival Dallas Cowboys. In three games played (two starts), Mariota threw for 340 yards, four touchdowns, and no interceptions. If he does not do enough in practice this week to return for Sunday night's game against the Eagles, rookie signal-caller Athan Kaliakmanis will work as the backup to Daniels for a third straight game.


Week 9 Projections

Fant.
Pts.
Rush.
Yds.
Rush
TD
Rec. Rec.
Yds.
Rec
TD
18.4 9.6 0.1 0.0 0.0 0.0

Gardner Minshew II News

Gardner Minshew II Back on the Fantasy Radar

Monday, November 2, 6:21 AM

Arizona Cardinals quarterback Gardner Minshew II entered Sunday's Week 8 matchup against the Dallas Cowboys for Jacoby Brissett and led the Cardinals to a 33-30 win after trailing 17-3 in the third quarter. Minshew was fantastic, completing 17 of 23 passes for 188 yards and three touchdowns. Brissett struggled mightily, which is what led to Minshew getting an opportunity, and head coach Mike LaFleur told Darren Urban of the team's official site that he won't name a Week 9 starter between Brissett and Minshew; however, given the performance Minshew put forward, it makes it difficult to ignore, and he should be considered an add in superflex formats. Minshew has been fantasy-relevant at times, finishing as the QB22 in 2019 with Jacksonville and QB21 for the Colts in 2023. Fantasy managers desperate for a second quarterback in superflex formats will want to add Minshew as a speculative add, in case he gets the chance to start.


Marcus Mariota vs. Gardner Minshew II

Still trying to decide between Mariota and Minshew II? 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 0.0 points this week while Gardner Minshew II is projected to score 18.4 points.