Are Fantasy Managers Underselling How Bad Marcus Mariota Is?
One of my many strategies for the 2022 fantasy football season will be avoiding any and all players on the Atlanta Falcons (avoiding the Giants are my other team but that’s a topic for another day). If there is any team that’s just going to flat out suck, the Falcons are as good a pick as any. I just don’t think fantasy football managers have fully acknowledged just how bad Marcus Mariota is.
We know the NFL is becoming more and more pass happy. 5,000 yards is almost the standard for having what’s qualified as a good season which is just insane to think about. Here’s the thing; Mariota might not even hit the 3,000 mark.
I know it’s been a minute since Mariota was a full time starter but it’s not an experience you want to be part of. The guy can’t play. Mariota’s second NFL season is the only year you can justify his performance but that was before NFL defenses caught up with the pro scouting report. Since that time, it’s been all ugly.
Since the 2017 NFL Season, the former Oregon prodigy has a TD to INT ratio of 32 to 25 in 34 starts. Good quarterbacks in fantasy are hitting that 30 touchdown mark in a year let alone two. Show me how Kyle Pitts, Drake London, whoever is hitting high level fantasy numbers with this disaster quarterback situation?
What are the real odds here that Mariota starts the whole season? One could make that counter, sure, but rookie Desmond Ridder can’t possibly be viewed as an upgrade. I’m certainly not in on any Ridder hype either.
Remember, this is fantasy. We can laugh at Jameis Winston all we want but he can provide high-level fantasy wide receivers. We’ve seen Jameis throw for 5,000 yards while blind. With Mariota, what is there to like? The passing numbers won’t be there and he’s hurt all the time anyway. Mariota’s career high passing mark is 3,426 yards and he won’t repeat that 2016 season. What are we even talking about here?
I get the fact that Kyle Pitts plays at a premium position in fantasy but show me where his production is coming from? Don’t forget, we’re talking about a guy that had ONE touchdown reception a year ago and that was with Matt Ryan who is a sure-fire upgrade over what the Falcons have right now. Ryan fell just short of 4,000 yards a season ago and it feels very obvious Mariota won’t top that number in this offense.
Keep in mind, Calvin Ridley is now suspended. That’s a guy who could have made everyone else’s life easier with his speed and ability to stretch a defense. Drake London is now inserted into that WR1 role and is someone that can’t really separate / relies on the contested catch. I’m now supposed to believe Mariota is capable of winning with accuracy by putting balls for London in short windows?
I don’t see it. I want no part of this offense in fantasy. Actually, I lied. I have Calvin Ridley signed for next year while eating the gambling suspension. I also don’t hate another flier on Cordarrelle Patterson based on the fact that his draft cost remains low after that awesome year in 2021. Outside of that, you better be careful buying this Falcons offense. I think a lot of people are forgetting just how bad Marcus Mariota is. He shouldn’t be on a roster let alone a starter in the NFL.
