Marcus mania
Strong debut making Mariota popular
AFTER he delivered a history-making four-touchdown performance in his NFL debut, Titans rookie QB Marcus Mariota certainly is going to be a very hot fantasy-football waiver add this week.
Fantasy owners don’t want to miss out on a hot rookie QB who could end up being as effective as Cam Newton or Russell Wilson were during their initial pro campaigns. Heck, if Mariota’s first game was any indicator, some may think he may turn out to be even better. Even if you have a top QB on your roster, you may want to add him as a trade chip.
But how a gg re ss ively should you pursue Mariota? That depends on your situation. If you already own Andrew Luck or Ben Roethlisberger, you really don’t need Mariota. Having the immediate trade bait should be second priority to filling a need, especially if you just lost a Dez Bryant or have the injured T.Y. Hilton.
If your league uses a free-agent acquisition budget (FAAB) run, don’t spend too heavily unless you don’t have a surefire, every-week starter, or you are legitimately concerned about Peyton Manning, which is totally understandable. Your FAAB has to last an entire season, and in many leagues, you do not even need a backup QB. When you have Aaron Rodgers or Drew Brees, you are going to start those guys 15 out of 16 weeks. Your one-week guy can be added off the waiver wire later in the season, especially in a 10-team league.
Plus, as fine as Mariota looked, one game does not make him an instant lock in fantasy lineups. The Titans have simplified the offense for Mariota and he looked very poised and sharp Sunday, but we was facing Tampa Bay, and upcoming opponents may test him more.
If you waited too long on a QB in your draft or don’t trust Matthew Stafford or want to insure a spot behind Sam Bradford, make Mariota a priority. But if you already have a steady, proven starter, he should not be a priority, but put in a claim for the possible bonus value that can be added to your roster.
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