Week 3 at Seattle Seahawks
Marcus Mariota has been an average fantasy quarterback through two weeks. He did throw for two touchdowns against the Rams in an attempt to overcome the infamous Falcons deficit of 28-3, ultimately falling short. This week, he faces the Seahawks on the road. It would be really nice to see Kyle Pitts get more involved, but at least Drake London has kept his fantasy value afloat. He's a middling QB2 this week with average projections.
Week 2 at Los Angeles Rams
Marcus Mariota was about what we expected in the passing game in Week 1 against the Saints, pretty average. He threw for 215 yards and didn't throw for a touchdown. A rushing touchdown and 72 yards on the ground boosted his fantasy output. Is that sustainable? Probably not against the Rams. Yes, they did allow over 50 rushing yards to Josh Allen in Week 1. However, Marcus Mariota isn't Josh Allen and the Rams are angry after being embarrassed at home in Week 1. Mariota is a low-end QB2 this week.
Week 16 vs. Miami Dolphins
Marcus Mariota took over for the injured Derek Carr last week against the Chargers, and he played admirably, despite the narrow loss. Mariota was 17 of 28 for 226 yards, a touchdown and a pick. He added 88 yards and a touchdown on the ground though, something he’s been able to do consistently throughout his career.
Mariota is expected to start this week, but it’s a tough matchup against the Dolphins, who rank fifth in aFPA to opposing quarterbacks. Expect some flashy plays, but also some turnovers. He adds enough on the ground to make him worth considering as a flyer if you’re desperate, but we have him ranked as a lower-end QB2 option in most leagues.
Update: Carr sounds like he may start, but he's even less interesting than Mariota because he doesn't add anything rushing. Stay away from both Raiders quarterbacks this week.
Week 6 at Denver Broncos
The Denver defense isn't what it once was, but it can still cause plenty of issues, especially when you're playing behind a bad offensive line as Marcus Mariota is. Mariota threw for just 183 yards and no touchdowns while scrambling for 35 yards last week against Buffalo's tough defense. But the weather could be a factor here, as well. Mariota just isn't a strong start this week.
Week 5 vs. Buffalo Bills
Marcus Mariota had his second three-touchdown game of the season despite throwing for just 227 yards last week against the Falcons. He also was not sacked after being taken down nine times in his previous game. But the Buffalo defense offers a rough matchup. This game has low-scoring affair written all over it, as the Bills field the league's third-best fantasy defense against opposing quarterbacks. No thanks.
Week 4 at Atlanta Falcons
Marcus Mariota had his first 300-yard game of the season last week, throwing for 304 yards, but it was an empty 300 yards as he failed to throw a touchdown pass. He did scramble six times for 34 yards to help his week out, but the Titans' pass blocking was shoddy and Mariota held the ball way too much. He just doesn't inspire much confidence right now, even indoors against the Falcons.
Week 3 vs. at Jacksonville Jaguars
We got a Marcus Mariota-like game last week from Mariota as he returned to his norm, completing 19 of 28 passes for 154 yards and a touchdown, while also scrambling five times for an additional 32 yards. This is who he is. Mariota is dealing with a quad injury, as well, but is expected to play in a tough matchup against Jacksonville. He's averaged around 180 passing yards with one touchdown in his career against the Jags and that seems like the upside and floor here. Take a hard pass on Mariota in this Thursday night matchup.
Week 2 vs. Indianapolis Colts
Marcus Mariota got the job done last week in Cleveland, throwing for 243 yards and three touchdowns, adding 24 yards rushing on three attempts. Considering he had just 11 touchdown passes all of last season, it was a promising start. Mariota hasn't had a multiple touchdown game against Indianapolis since 2016, which has, well, been a while. Don't count on another three-touchdown game, but Mariota obviously enjoyed having Delanie Walker back. He's a QB2 this week.
Week 1 at Cleveland
Given the troubles the Titans had protecting the quarterback in the preseason, that doesn't bode well for Marcus Mariota in this one -- unless the Titans can get their running game going. But that also wouldn't bode well for Mariota having a big day passing. He probably shouldn't be in your lineup this week or anytime soon until he shows he can be a more effective passer. There have just been too many duds in recent years.
Fantasy Upside
Marcus Mariota was once considered a strong contender as the next big thing at the quarterback position. But injuries and a lack of weapons -- and offensive game plan -- have limited his production. Now heading into year five in the league, he might have his best group of receivers. If he can stay healthy and play a 16-game schedule for the first time in his career, maybe gets back to his production of his second season, when he threw 26 TD passes and ran for two more scores in 15 games.
Fantasy Downside
That injury history is tough to overlook. And a lot of other young passers have moved past him in the pecking order. Despite a change in coaching last season, the Titans continue to be a ball-control offense, which hurts Mariota's production.
2019 Bottom Line
Mariota's star has waned. But this is a big season for him. Can he get it all together? If not, the Titans could start looking to move on. Though he completed a career-high 68% of his passes last season, he threw for just 2,528 yards in 14 games with 11 touchdowns and eight interceptions. The 180 passing yards per game was a career low. He did rush for a career-high 357 yards and added a pair of rushing touchdowns, but the production has to be better. Mariota at this point is a low-end No. 2 fantasy QB.
