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        FANTASY FOOTBALL NEWS

        Marcus Mariota To Start Week 3

        By Jared Smola | Updated on Fri, Sep 19 2025 4:37 PM UTC
        Marcus Mariota Headshot

        Commanders QB Marcus Mariota will start this weekend's game vs. the Raiders, HC Dan Quinn said Friday. It's been trending this way most of the week, with Washington erring on the side of caution with QB Jayden Daniels' knee injury. Daniels did return to a limited practice on Friday, which should have him on track to return for Week 4. But it'll be Mariota under center on Sunday, making him an intriguing fantasy spot starter.

        2025 Fantasy Football Impact

        Mariota scored 49 fantasy points in 100 snaps for the Commanders last year. That included a QB9 fantasy finish in Week 7, when he played 86% of Washington's offensive snaps. That came against a bad Panthers defense. But Mariota completed 78% of his passes at 8.9 yards per attempt and led all QBs in Pro Football Focus passing grade for the week. He also ran 11 times for 34 yards, including nine designed rush attempts.

        This is a legit dual-threat QB in a strong offensive environment in a plus matchup against the Raiders. The Commanders are implied for a healthy 23.25 points as of early Friday afternoon.

        Mariota checks in 10th in our Week 3 QB rankings.

        Other Winners and Losers

        WR Terry McLaurin, WR Deebo Samuel, and TE Zach Ertz take small hits in the Week 3 rankings with Mariota, but all three are still inside starter territory for 12-team fantasy leagues.

        Jared Smola Author Image
        Jared Smola, Lead Analyst
        Jared has been with Draft Sharks since 2007. He’s now Lead Analyst, heading up the preseason and weekly projections that fuel your Draft War Room and in-season tools. He currently ranks ninth among 173 analysts in draft rankings accuracy.
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