Who Should I Start? Riley Leonard or Fernando Mendoza
Week 1 Projections
| Fant. Pts. |
Rush. Yds. |
Rush TD |
Rec. | Rec. Yds. |
Rec TD |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 0.0 | 0.0 | 0.0 | 0.0 | 0.0 | 0.0 |
Riley Leonard News
Saturday, June 13, 5:13 AM
Indianapolis Colts quarterback Riley Leonard started the final game of his 2025 rookie campaign, throwing for 270 yards, two touchdowns, and an interception, and he is now battling for the primary backup role behind Daniel Jones, according to Colts Insider Joel A. Erickson. With Jones still recovering from his December Achilles tear and unable to participate in full team drills, Leonard split minicamp reps with 2023 fourth overall pick Anthony Richardson Sr., and their competition for the number two job is expected to carry into training camp. Indianapolis declined Richardson's fifth-year option, putting him on the final season of his rookie contract, so if Leonard can win the job outright, it could be his to hold for the foreseeable future. With the mobility to provide fantasy viability in any spot-start duties, and potentially available on waivers in many leagues, the 2025 sixth-round pick is worthy of back-of-roster consideration in deep dynasty leagues.
Week 1 Projections
| Fant. Pts. |
Rush. Yds. |
Rush TD |
Rec. | Rec. Yds. |
Rec TD |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 0.0 | 0.0 | 0.0 | 0.0 | 0.0 | 0.0 |
Fernando Mendoza News
Monday, July 6, 11:10 AM
The number one pick in the 2026 NFL Draft, Las Vegas Raiders quarterback Fernando Mendoza profiles as his new team's long-term answer under center. Mendoza had a dominant junior season at the University of Indiana in 2025, completing 72% of his pass attempts for 3,535 yards, 41 touchdowns, and six interceptions across 16 games. The 22-year-old also showed some ability to produce with his legs, recording 276 rushing yards and seven touchdowns. Currently, Mendoza appears to be entering his rookie training camp behind both Kirk Cousins and Aidan O'Connell on the Raiders' quarterback depth chart. However, Cousins is entering his age-38 season, and O'Connell has not shown anything more than quality backup quarterback production to this point in his career. Mendoza could easily emerge as the starter in Las Vegas early on in 2026. With a current average draft position of QB27, Mendoza may be undervalued in redraft formats.
Riley Leonard vs. Fernando Mendoza
Still trying to decide between Leonard and Mendoza? Check on the latest news to make sure both players are active and healthy. Our PPR projections show that Riley Leonard is projected to score 0.0 points this week while Fernando Mendoza is projected to score 0.0 points.
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