Who Should I Start? Marcus Mariota or Lamar Jackson

Thursday, June 13, 12:52 PM

Washington Commanders quarterback Marcus Mariota has been splitting first-team reps with first-round rookie Jayden Daniels this offseason, according to head coach Dan Quinn. The former No. 2 overall pick in 2015 by the Tennessee Titans signed a one-year deal with Washington at the start of free agency, and he could be the short-term starter if the team wants Daniels to sit for the first few weeks of the 2024 campaign. Although Mariota has struggled to keep a starting job, he has underrated fantasy football upside thanks to his rushing skill set. In 13 games for the Atlanta Falcons in 2022, Mariota averaged a respectable 15.8 fantasy points per game behind 2,219 passing yards, 15 passing touchdowns, nine interceptions, 438 rushing yards, and four rushing touchdowns. He's a must-stash option in Superflex leagues, and fantasy managers might get one or two QB1 weeks out of him if he's the starter to begin the Dan Quinn era in Washington.

Friday, July 26, 1:52 PM

The Baltimore Ravens announced that quarterback Lamar Jackson (illness) will remain sidelined due to his illness and will not take part in Friday's training camp practice. Jackson will continue to undergo further evaluation and receive care from the medical staff. The 27-year-old two-time MVP returned to the practice field on Wednesday but apparently is still under the weather from an illness that he first came down with last weekend. He should be fully recovered well before the start of the 2024 regular season, so fantasy managers should have nothing to worry about. When healthy, Jackson is one of the most dangerous dual-threat signal-callers in the league and is a top-five fantasy QB. What he lacks with his arm, he more than makes up for with his rushing ability. Jackson had a career-high 3,678 passing yards with 24 touchdown passes and seven picks in 16 regular-season starts in 2023.