Is Marcus Mariota poised to make the most of his second chance to be a starting quarterback in the NFL?
On Monday Night Football, Mariota went viral after a very strong preseason performance against the Jets.
The new Falcons starting quarterback completed 6-10 passes for 132 yards and a touchdown in his appearance. On the touchdown, Mariota stepped up in the pocket to hit Olamide Zaccheaus in stride on an in-breaking route.
Marcus Mariota is LOCKED IN! ? #DirtyBirds
(Via: @NFL) pic.twitter.com/fu6RDtUEFY
— Sunday Night Football on NBC (@SNFonNBC) August 23, 2022
Marcus Mariota Fantasy Football Rankings & Draft Projections
Following the performance, many were wondering if Marcus Mariota could be a sleeper option late in fantasy football drafts given his ability to run the ball, as well.
For now, we have Marcus Mariota ranked 29th on our Stokastic fantasy football cheat sheet, so we’re not necessarily buying into all the hype from his strong preseason showing, but the fantasy football rankings can change quickly. As such, keep an eye on the Stokastic fantasy football rankings so you don’t miss who is jolting up boards.
Still, Falcons coach Arthur Smith was excited by what he saw from Mariota on Monday night.
“I’m pleased with Marcus,” Smith said via PFT. “He got into a good rhythm. The only drive I thought wasn’t very good was where we tried to simulate a two-minute situation, we got backed up and it wasn’t really clean there, but other than that I thought he was really cleaned when he was in there. I think he got into the offense, got into a rhythm, made a big-time throw.”
After Mariota shined, rookie third round draft pick Desmond Ridder also put in a strong performance. He was 10/13 for 143 yards running Smith’s offense.
For now, we’re not expecting Marcus Mariota to be much of a factor in fantasy football. But perhaps he can prove us all wrong this season…
