Who Should I Start? Marcus Mariota or Lamar Jackson


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
25.4 38.6 0.2 0.0 0.0 0.0

Lamar Jackson News

Lamar Jackson Will Not Play in Saturday's Preseason Opener

Tuesday, August 11, 9:46 AM

Baltimore Ravens quarterback Lamar Jackson and other established starters will not play in Saturday's preseason opener against the Philadelphia Eagles, head coach Jesse Minter told Jamison Hensley of ESPN. Coming off a disappointing and injury-plagued 2025 campaign in his eighth year in the NFL, the Ravens aren't going to take any chances with the two-time MVP and will likely keep him out of all preseason contests. The 29-year-old played in only 13 games last year and had 2,549 passing yards, 21 touchdowns, and seven interceptions while carrying the ball a career-low 67 times for 349 yards and two touchdowns on the ground. Jackson should be a prime bounce-back candidate in new offensive coordinator Declan Doyle's scheme as long as he stays healthy as one of the top dual-threat QBs in the league. Jackson's injury-plagued 2025 campaign hasn't made him a discount at the QB position in fantasy this year, and he's ranked as RotoBaller's No. 2 signal-caller, behind only Josh Allen.


Marcus Mariota vs. Lamar Jackson

Still trying to decide between Mariota and Jackson? 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 Lamar Jackson is projected to score 25.4 points.