Who Should I Start? Marcus Mariota or Kyler Murray


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

Marcus Mariota Suffers Sprained MCL, Likely Out for Rest of Preseason

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
22.2 26.8 0.2 0.0 0.0 0.0

Kyler Murray News

Kyler Murray Lands in a Great Spot for a Bounce-Back

Friday, September 4, 7:49 AM

Minnesota Vikings quarterback Kyler Murray has a much stronger group of pass-catchers around him after his final season in Arizona fell apart. A foot injury limited Murray to five games in 2025, but Minnesota named him the starter on Aug. 11 after his competition with J.J. McCarthy. The job comes with Justin Jefferson, Jordan Addison and Jauan Jennings at receiver, plus T.J. Hockenson at tight end. Jefferson was full-go throughout camp and started clicking with Murray late in the summer, while Jennings arrives after piling up 1,618 receiving yards and 15 touchdowns over the past two seasons. Murray has already shown what his rushing can add when healthy. In 2024, he threw for 3,851 yards and 21 touchdowns while running for another 572 yards and five scores. He enters September at QB19 in RotoBaller's updated rankings, so fantasy managers aren't paying for a full rebound yet. Durability is still the concern, but this Minnesota group gives Murray plenty of room to beat that price.


Marcus Mariota vs. Kyler Murray

Still trying to decide between Mariota and Murray? 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 Kyler Murray is projected to score 22.2 points.