Who Should I Start? Marcus Mariota or Shedeur Sanders

Wednesday, August 6, 9:20 PM

Washington Commanders quarterback Marcus Mariota (leg) won't travel with the team for their preseason opener against the New England Patriots. Head coach Dan Quinn said on Wednesday that Mariota is dealing with a mild lower leg strain. Luckily, it sounds like a minor injury as Quinn said his level of concern was low. The Commanders will take the cautious approach and rest their backup quarterback. Mariota served as the backup to Jayden Daniels last season. He completed 34-of-44 passing attempts for 364 passing yards and four touchdowns in three games with Washington last year. There won't be any fantasy value here with Mariota while Daniels is healthy. Sam Hartman figures to see the bulk of the snaps in the preseason opener.

Monday, August 11, 6:32 PM

Cleveland Browns rookie fifth-round quarterback Shedeur Sanders is listed as the QB4 on the team's second unofficial depth chart of the preseason, according to Adam Schefter of ESPN. Veteran Joe Flacco is listed as the starter, with Kenny Pickett (hamstring) behind him and rookie Dillon Gabriel as the QB3. While Sanders was not perfect by any means in the preseason opener last Friday night against the Carolina Panthers, he did well for himself by going 14-for-23 for 138 yards and two touchdowns while adding 19 rushing yards on four carries. The 23-year-old has gotten more opportunities in training camp with both Pickett and Gabriel missing time with hamstring injuries, but his strong performance over the weekend hasn't really moved the needle in terms of Sanders moving up the QB depth chart in Cleveland. He's going to need to show more.