Week 13 vs. Pittsburgh Steelers
Another week of modest passing yardage with decent rushing yardage from Marcus Mariota. That's just what you'll get from Mariota, especially now that we know he won't have Kyle Pitts for the rest of the season. The good news is Pittsburgh is allowing the sixth-most fantasy points to opposing quarterbacks. There's enough here to make Mariota worth consideration as a QB2 and for daily lineups.
Week 12 at Washington Commanders
Make it eight games under 200 passing yards for Marcus Mariota. But also make it seven straight games with at least 20 rushing yards and he scored his fourth rushing touchdown of the season last week. That helps him salvage fantasy days each week, but his ceiling remains very low, especially against a constantly improving Commanders defense. With no teams on a bye this week, Mariota is a borderline QB2.
Week 11 vs. Chicago Bears
Marcus Mariota notched just his fourth multi-touchdown game of the season in Week 10 against the Panthers but there was some thought he would be benched in favor of Desmond Ridder. He was not. He remains the starter heading into a Week 11 showdown with the Bears. At this point, you can't rely on him to get you much in the passing game (7 games with less than 200 passing yards) but he'll get you a few points on the ground. He continues to be a solid QB2 in fantasy.
Week 10 at Carolina Panthers
Atlanta's passing game has been very limited this season, but Marcus Mariota has done the best he can, given his limitations. He also still adds some rushing value. He has rushed at least 5 times in every game this season. In Week 8 against the Panthers, he had a season-high 253 yards and three touchdowns. If he can equal that on Thursday, he could end up as a low-end QB1 for the week. He's certainly at least QB2-worthy and is worth consideration for DFS lineups as well.
Week 9 vs. Los Angeles Chargers
Interestingly enough, Marcus Mariota hit a season-high in passing yards last week against the Panthers, going for 253 yards and his first game with three passing touchdowns this season. Now, he faces a Chargers defense that is hurting and has the 23rd-ranked pass defense in DVOA. As a result, Mariota's arm and legs give him some upside this week as a borderline QB1 for Week 9.
Week 8 vs. Carolina Panthers
The legs of Marcus Mariota are what's helping his fantasy season. He hasn't cracked 200 passing yards since Week 3 but does have at least 30 rushing yards in three straight games. He's also only thrown the football 27 times combined in the last two games. His mobility at least helps keep him as an ok QB2 option going forward and they face a Panthers team that is on the lower end against the pass, ranking 22nd in DVOA. He's worth a look for streaming options of 2QB leagues, especially if you normally have Patrick Mahomes or Justin Herbert.
Week 7 at Cincinnati Bengals
Is Marcus Mariota back? Week 6 perhaps may have been a turning point for him as he was nearly perfect throwing the football (13/14) and accounted for two touchdowns in the upset win over the 49ers. He was named NFC Offensive Player of the Week as a result. That was a tough task and now he faces another one as he heads to Cincinnati to face a strong Bengals defense that is among our top five toughest matchups for opposing quarterbacks. He has the mobility to add value in the run game, but he's still best served as a QB2 at best this week.
Week 6 vs. San Francisco 49ers
Sure, he didn't have Kyle Pitts or Cordarrelle Patterson, but it was yet another mundane fantasy outing for Marcus Mariota, salvaged by a passing touchdown and 61 rushing yards. Mariota now has three games with less than 200 passing yards and faces another top-tier defense in the 49ers this week. Even with byes starting this week, Mariota isn't worth much consideration, unless it's a deep Superflex league.
Week 5 at Tampa Bay Buccaneers
The Falcons won last week against the Browns despite just 139 yards and an interception for Marcus Mariota, who has been putting up pedestrian numbers of late. He has less than 230 passing yards in all four games and three games with less than two passing touchdowns. A date with Tampa Bay this week means the likelihood of Mariota coming up with a strong fantasy performance is pretty unlikely. Mariota also doesn't have Cordarrelle Patterson for at least four games. Mariota is a tough start this week in Tampa.
Week 4 vs. Cleveland Browns
Through three weeks, the Atlanta Falcons actually look competitive. Credit Arthur Smith for having his team ready every week and once again seemingly overachieving, considering many felt the Falcons would be one of the worst teams this season. Marcus Mariota has been a reason for that. He has worked the offense well thus far and turned into a steady QB2 option. That should continue this week against the Browns, who actually rank 30th in our matchup ratings against quarterbacks. He may even have low-end QB1 potential this week. Sneaky DFS option.
