Who Should I Start? Matthew Stafford or Marcus Mariota

Friday, September 13, 6:24 PM

Los Angeles Rams quarterback Matthew Stafford was one of just two quarterbacks in the NFL to surpass 300 yards passing in Week 1. Stafford did so against the Lions, going 34-of-49 passing for 317 yards with a touchdown pass and an interception. The first thing that stands out about Stafford's Week 1 line is his 49 attempts. With Puka Nacua (knee) exiting early from that game, Stafford still threw the ball a ton and targeted Cooper Kupp a whopping 21 times. He might not be called upon to pass as much in Week 2 at Arizona, but he should be primed for another efficient afternoon. The Stafford-to-Kupp connection is firing on all cylinders and the veteran quarterback should be able to spread some production around to tight end Colby Parkinson as well as the receiving trio of Tyler Johnson, Demarcus Robinson, and Tutu Atwell. The Cardinals' defense is beatable and while the Rams could lean more on the run game, Stafford should be a borderline QB1 in an exploitable matchup.

Saturday, September 7, 3:32 PM

The Washington Commanders have placed quarterback Marcus Mariota (chest) on injured reserve and have signed quarterback Sam Hartman from their practice squad. Mariota, who sustained a chest injury during Wednesday's practice, will be sidelined until at least early October. Washington had signed Mariota to a one-year, $6 million contract before drafting Jayden Daniels with their second-round pick. Mariota, a former No. 2 overall pick in 2015, had agreed to either mentor or start as needed for the team. This marks Mariota's first season with the Commanders after previous stints with the Tennessee Titans, Las Vegas Raiders, Atlanta Falcons, and Philadelphia Eagles. The rookie from Notre Dame will step in as the third-string quarterback behind Daniels, the starter, and Jeff Driskel, the new backup, for the start of the season.