In his first 10 NFL games, Marcus Mariota was on pace for a rookie record 30 touchdown passes and four rushing scores. He had six games with 18+ fantasy points--including two with 30+. His sophomore campaign was just as good. He was going to be a great QB.
In his first game action as a Raider--after throwing only one pass in the last 14 months--Mariota looked like an NFL starter. Playing without two of his top four receivers, he fared well in the passing game and was explosive (and fearless) in the running game. In fact, he racked up more rushing yards than Derek Carr had all of last season.
With the Raiders now essentially out of the playoffs, whether or not Derek Carr's ready, head coach Jon Gruden could give Mariota the ball next week against Miami. It would be a less-than-ideal matchup. But in two-QB leagues, a starting Mariota would be a terrific QB2 streamer. And in deep one-QB leagues, with Josh Jacobs continuing to struggle on the ground, Mariota could surprise.
Speaking of Jacobs, I predicted must-start production with the help of two touchdowns. While he found pay dirt only once, he eclipsed 20 fantasy points and was the #2 flex producer of the day. There remain good and bad elements with Jacobs. He earned touches near the goal line on four separate drives, meaning he could have had a monster day. He also caught three balls (slightly better than his average) and got 26 carries. The downside is that, outside of a 20-yard run on his second carry, he had 56 yards on 25 attempts. Besides Todd Gurley, no top-30 fantasy RB has a worse YPC (3.7).
Whether it's because of lingering (or new) injuries (he appeared to be playing hurt late yesterday), Jacobs is the same boom-bust guy he's been all year. Yesterday I believed he was headed for a boom. He did well, but left a lot of points on the table. He's signed on the cheap for two more years, and Devontae Booker will be 29 next summer. So unless the Raiders draft another starter-capable RB next year, Jacobs will be a preseason RB1 again despite being arguably the weakest RB1 in 2020.
Elsewhere, Darren Waller shined in part because of a depleted receiver corps that thrust Zay Jones and Foster Moreau into action, but mostly because he's Darren Waller. Had Carr remained healthy, he would have run less and thrown more than Mariota, meaning Nelson Agholor probably could have done a bit more to merit starting him.
For the Chargers, Justin Herbert is clearly one of the best rookie QBs in years, and possibly one of the best ever. With Keenan Allen and Mike Williams mostly sidelined and Austin Ekeler largely held in check, Herbert an offense with Hunter Henry and the B team.
Speaking of which, will Jalen Guyton or Tyron Johnson move up next summer? In April the Chargers exercised Mike Williams' 2021 option, so presumably he'll be paired with Keenan at least one more season. But I wouldn't be surprised if the team shops Williams this offseason, knowing they probably won't be contenders next year, and they likely won't want to re-sign the inconsistent Williams to another contract. It appears Guyton and/or Johnson are ready to take the next step. It'll be interesting to see what happens, and whether one of the youngsters can be fantasy relevant next season.
- 6 games with 18+ fantasy points (including two with 30+)
- 21 TDs
- 9 interceptions
He was going to be a great NFL QB. He could still be good in the right situation. Maybe tonight his comeback begins.