ESPN Ownership: 35%
Yahoo Ownership: 45%
Some people prefer tight-roping the quarterback position by streaming signal callers left on the waiver wire based on juicy matchups. But if you initially planned to utilize this strategy and now feel like bailing, or you just feel more comfortable having two quarterbacks to decide from on your roster, Marcus Mariota could be an actual season-long option if you judge him based on his performance yesterday.
Mariota was an absolute boss against the Bucs, going for 4 touchdowns while throwing no picks and accumulating 209 yards via the air. Granted, the Bucs' defense was one spot away from ranking dead last in terms of Adjusted Defensive Passing NEP per play in 2014, so he got a soft landing heading into his debut.
And the schedule for him will get tougher moving forward. In fact, his schedule according to Adjusted Defensive Passing NEP ranks as the sixth-toughest quarterback schedule this season. But for a rookie quarterback to throw 4 touchdowns in the first half against any NFL team (yes, even the Bucs) is impressive, not to mention contributing 19 points above expectation in terms of NEP.
Mariota is owned in less than half of all Yahoo and ESPN leagues, so if you're not comfortable with who you have at the position, he's a good option to reach for in case he's already the real deal.