Who Should I Start? Marcus Mariota or Tyler Higbee

Tuesday, March 12, 11:07 AM

Free-agent quarterback Marcus Mariota is signing a one-year, $6 million deal worth up to $10 million, according to ESPN's Adam Schefter. The former No. 2 overall pick in 2015 is set to join his fifth team after five years with the Tennessee Titans, two years with the Las Vegas Raiders, and one year a piece with the Atlanta Falcons and Philadelphia Eagles. In 90 games (74 starts), Mariota has passed for 15,820 yards, 93 touchdowns, and 55 interceptions. He's added over 2,000 yards and 17 scores on the ground. He's set to join a quarterback room that already has Sam Howell, and the Commanders are likely to take a quarterback in the 2024 NFL Draft with the No. 2 overall pick. That said, Mariota will likely be competing for the backup job, though some teams choose to start a veteran early in the season as they ease a rookie into action. Mariota slightly enters the two-QB and Superflex league fantasy radar for 2024.

Wednesday, February 28, 4:37 PM

Los Angeles Rams tight end Tyler Higbee (knee) suffered a torn ACL in the team's Wild Card loss to the Detroit Lions on January 14, and he has undergone surgery to repair it. However, Rams general manager Les Snead said the veteran's timeline to return is "still unclear." The 31-year-old caught 47 passes for 495 yards and two touchdowns in his eighth NFL season (2023), marking his quietest statistical year since 2018. Given his major injury late in the year, he's likely to begin the 2024 campaign on the PUP (Physically Unable to Perform) list, which would mean he'd have to miss at least the first four games of the season. Regardless of his health, he has limited fantasy upside while sharing a field with Puka Nacua and Cooper Kupp for the foreseeable future. His peak fantasy value has likely come and gone.