Marcus Mariota (QB, TEN) - Week 5 Waiver Wire Pickups

Elliott Bass profiles quarterback Marcus Mariota as a waiver wire pickup for Week 5 of the 2018 NFL season.

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ANALYSIS: Tennessee Titans quarterback Marcus Mariota is healthy once again and came up big for Tennessee in their 26-23 win over Philadelphia in Week 4. He was 30-for-43 passing for 344 yards and two touchdowns with one interception last week. Mariota also pitched in with his legs, rushing for 46 yards and a touchdown. He showed everyone what he is capable of against a strong Philadelphia defense. Mariota has been dropped in many leagues after a rough 2017 season and suffering an injury in Week 1, making him available in most standard leagues. Mariota was a top-12 quarterback in 2016, and with his dual-threat ability can return to fantasy usefulness again. Corey Davis is also looking like the best receiver Mariota has ever had, and the two could be a nice pairing all year.

His upcoming schedule is mostly favorable as well. He gets Buffalo next week, a team that looks incompetent in every facet of the game. Week 6 might be a little rough against Baltimore, but after that it’s the Los Angeles Chargers, a bye week, and then smooth sailing in terms of matchups until Week 14 against Jacksonville. Owners still scrambling to replace Jimmy Garoppolo should consider Mariota for the long term.