Who Should I Start? Tyler Shough or Fernando Mendoza
Week 1 Projections
| Fant. Pts. |
Rush. Yds. |
Rush TD |
Rec. | Rec. Yds. |
Rec TD |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 20.6 | 18.2 | 0.2 | 0.0 | 0.0 | 0.0 |
Tyler Shough News
Friday, July 17, 12:37 PM
The 40th overall pick in the 2025 NFL Draft, New Orleans Saints quarterback Tyler Shough took over as his team's starter under center in Week 9 of his rookie season. The 26-year-old held his own in his first taste of NFL action, completing 67.6% of his pass attempts for 2,384 yards and 10 touchdowns while rushing for 195 yards and three scores across 11 games (nine starts). From Week 9 through the end of the season, Shough ranked as the fantasy QB12 by measure of per-game scoring. Entering 2026, Shough is the unquestioned QB1 in New Orleans and has some new weapons at his disposal after the Saints added wide receiver Jordyn Tyson (undisclosed) in the 2026 draft and running back Travis Etienne Jr. in free agency. If Shough can continue his development as a passer while also adding some extra fantasy juice with his legs, he could be a steal for fantasy managers at his current redraft ADP of QB21.
Week 1 Projections
| Fant. Pts. |
Rush. Yds. |
Rush TD |
Rec. | Rec. Yds. |
Rec TD |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 16.1 | 12.7 | 0.1 | 0.0 | 0.0 | 0.0 |
Fernando Mendoza News
Tuesday, July 21, 10:46 AM
While it remains highly unlikely that Las Vegas Raiders rookie quarterback Fernando Mendoza, the first overall pick in April's draft out of Indiana, will open the 2026 campaign as the team's starter under center, Sports Illustrated's Albert Breer writes that it sounds like the Raiders will "sprinkle" Mendoza in with the first-team offense in training camp this summer. New head coach Klint Kubiak is thrilled with the long-term prospects of Mendoza leading the Raiders' offense, but he must first learn to take more snaps under center, something he didn't do much in college. The good news for Mendoza's long-term fantasy upside is that his reputation as a worker while being coachable has checked out this offseason, and he has shown the ability to absorb what he's being taught and apply it on the field quickly. He has also already developed a strong relationship with veteran QB Kirk Cousins, who is expected to begin the year as the Raiders' starter. Because the Raiders are slow-playing Mendoza as their QB of the future, he won't be much of a redraft asset in fantasy football in 2026.
Tyler Shough vs. Fernando Mendoza
Still trying to decide between Shough and Mendoza? Check on the latest news to make sure both players are active and healthy. Our PPR projections show that Tyler Shough is projected to score 20.6 points this week while Fernando Mendoza is projected to score 16.1 points.
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