5 best fantasy football pickups to make for Week 2

1. QB Marcus Mariota, Atlanta Falcons

Rostered: 3.9%

Okay, hear me out.

In Week 1, Mariota showcased his dual-threat upside against a tough Saints’ defense, which gave up the 10th-fewest fantasy points to opposing quarterbacks last season. He completed 20 out of 33 passes for 215 yards, and he had 12 carries for 72 yards and a touchdown.

As of Monday morning, he is ninth among quarterbacks in fantasy points (19.8).

Mariota has always had great mobility. For his career, he has 1,646 rushing yards and averages 6.0 yards per carry.

However, the Titans never maximized his abilities as a rusher. In 63 games with the Titans, he had 10+ carries in only three games. In fact, Mariota’s 12 rushing attempts in Week 1 with the Falcons set a new career high.

The Falcons appear more willing to use Mariota as a runner. In Week 1 of the preseason, he played only one drive and had three carries for 23 yards and a touchdown.

In addition, he should have plenty of opportunities to throw the football, as the Falcons’ defense allowed the third-most points per game last season (27.0).

Quarterbacks like Trey Lance and Jalen Hurts were highly valued in fantasy drafts due to their rushing upside, but Mariota is still widely available.

He is a borderline QB1 as long as he remains the starter.