Fantasy Football Preview: Marcus Mariota
By trever
Fantasy Football Preview – Titans QB Marcus Mariota
Hello, and welcome! For those of you looking for a deeper understanding of Tennessee Titans player fantasy football values, you’ve found the right place as we give you our fantasy football preview. I’ll continue throughout the preseason giving multiple views of a Titans fantasy preview as well as value selections.
Who am I? Just a Missouri-based writer nearing the completion of a teaching degree from Missouri Western State University. Yes, that IS where the Kansas City Chiefs training camp is held.
So where do the Titans fit into all of this? Although teaching is my passion, and Missouri is my current residence, I am originally from central Illinois. A Titans fandom was created from the early 2000’s. As a Titans fan and fantasy player of over a decade, I can provide you with a unique perspective ideally giving you a leg up on the competition when it comes to adding Titans’ players to your roster.
Enough of the biography though, let’s get down to brass tacks. You’re here for Titans news and whether or not a player is a worthwhile pick-up in your league. All projections/predictions are based on a 12-team PPR redraft format. Here we go!
Fantasy Football Preview – QUARTERBACK
Marcus “MariGOATa,” as he is affectionately nicknamed by the Tennessee fan-base, has everything you would want in a fantasy QB. He can complete a high percentage of passes, run the ball, put up scary numbers in the redzone, and even bust off an 87-yard TD run from time to time.
The question has to be asked. Why is he currently being drafted as QB13, behind the likes of Dak Prescott, Derek Carr, and Ben Roethlisberger? If you’re looking for one reason early on, it could be the risk of injury. Mariota has not finished a full season yet through two NFL campaigns. However, if you’re trying to avoid injury risks, avoiding a broken fibula just will not happen. It simply cannot be predicted.
Mariota took a sack in the Titans’ preseason opener against the Jets, yet popped back up perfectly fine both mentally and physically. His mobility was on full display as well against the Jets. The injury is of no concern entering the 2017-18 season.
Another reason? He didn’t perform particularly well against stout defenses such as Minnesota, Denver, and Kansas City. Despite not playing well, his team picked up victories. If you’re the Titans vying for a playoff spot, would you put the ball in the hands of DeMarco Murray and Derrick Henry, or Tajae Sharpe and Harry Douglas? Mariota’s stats were down, but the supporting cast was simply too weak.
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The Titans revamped their corps of pass catchers with the likes of Eric Decker, Corey Davis, Taywan Taylor, and Jonnu Smith We should see Mariota’s numbers improve exponentially due to the influx of talent around him. We should also continue to see Mariota’s redzone dominance continue (33 TD’s : 0 INT’s).
VALUE
While Mariota may not be ready to win a fantasy MVP just yet (despite posting the highest fantasy point total of any QB last year from weeks 5-12 and second overall to David Johnson), he can and will win you leagues if you get him at good value.
Mariota’s current ADP is at OVR89, making him an 8th round selection. This is pretty even value for him meaning anything above round 8 could be reaching, while anything below would be exceptional. With so many quality QB’s going late in drafts, you can select Mariota and pair him up with Andy Dalton, Carson Wentz, or Tyrod Taylor.
These pairings present significant QBBC (Quarterback-By-Committee) value, while still giving you the potential top-5 upside represented by Mariota.
Bottom line: draft Mariota when you can to lead your team full of strong RB/WR combos by waiting until round 8 to select him. The point totals from your QB spot will be exceptional and may even propel you to a championship.
Next: FanDuel NFL Week 2 Preseason DFS Picks
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