Who Should I Start? Marcus Mariota or Tua Tagovailoa

Friday, November 21, 11:00 AM

With Washington Commanders quarterback Jayden Daniels (elbow) missing time due to both knee and elbow injuries, backup QB Marcus Mariota has gotten extended playing time in 2025. Across seven games (five starts) this season, the 32-year-old has completed 65.7% of his pass attempts for 1,065 yards, seven touchdowns, and five interceptions. Mariota also brings some juice with his legs, rushing for 193 yards and a touchdown on 27 attempts. However, Daniels was able to avoid surgery on his dislocated left elbow, which could allow him to return to the field shortly after the Commanders' Week 12 bye. At the same time, Washington is out of the playoff mix with a 3-8 record, so the team could choose to shut Daniels down and play for 2026. Still, the Commanders will face one of the NFL's best defenses in the Denver Broncos in Week 13. Mariota does not profile as a starting fantasy QB option in Week 13, which may be his last chance to start before Daniels returns.

Sunday, November 16, 4:11 PM

Miami Dolphins quarterback Tua Tagovailoa completed 14 of 20 pass attempts for 171 yards, zero touchdowns, and zero turnovers during Sunday's Week 11 overtime win against the Washington Commanders in Madrid. He also took three sacks in the victory. Tagovailoa didn't light the stat sheet on fire, but he also played clean football, delivering just his fourth turnover-free game of the season. However, from a fantasy perspective, his quiet day equated to a very disappointing fantasy performance, especially just one week removed from a two-touchdown outing against the Bills. Tagovailoa finished Week 11 with his third-lowest fantasy total of the season, and he'll remain a low-end QB2 on the other side of Miami's Week 12 bye.