Mariota
QB · WAS vs IND
Proj pts
17.1pts
market
Daniels
QB · WAS vs IND
Proj pts
17pts
opportunity
Jayden Daniels or Marcus Mariota: who should I start in Week 4?
Toss-up: lean Marcus Mariota over Jayden Daniels by 0.1. Marcus Mariota leads at 17.1. Jayden Daniels is the first one out, 0.1 short.
Crowd: 37% of managers started Mariota.
Availability & news
Jayden DanielsPractice: Limited
Daniels (elbow) remained limited at practice Thursday, John Keim of ESPN.com reports.(rotowire, Oct 1, 2026)
Highlights
Pros
- Rushing floor5.0 rush att/g
Cons
- Shaky floor9.8 floor
Pros
- Rushing floor8.3 rush att/g
Some recent form, opportunity and matchup figures still lean on the 2025 season (not enough games played this season yet).
Week 4 · Updated Tue 29 Sep, 6:00 AM ET
The widest gap between them, in proportion, is bust rate: Mariota 30%, Daniels 14%.
Daniels (Practice: Limited): “Daniels (elbow) remained limited at practice Thursday, John Keim of ESPN.com reports.” — RotoWire, Oct 1, 2026.
Latest game on the card: Daniels 14.7 (PPR points).
Why Marcus Mariota
Start Marcus Mariota — projects 17.1, an even matchup vs IND.
Marcus Mariota projects 17.1 points on a 9.8–20.1 range. The matchup grades as neutral against IND. Usage: pass attempts / game at 22.7. Net: start Marcus Mariota this week.
Working for Mariota: Rushing floor (5.0 rush att/g).
Working against Mariota: Shaky floor (9.8 floor).
Where Mariota leads the head-to-head: Projection (17.1 vs 17.0); Ceiling (20.1 vs 20.0); Last 3 avg (14.6 vs 11.7); vs season (-0.8 vs -1.8); Boom rate (20% vs 0%); Yards per attempt (7.5 vs 6.7).
Why Jayden Daniels
Sit Jayden Daniels — projects 17.0, an even matchup vs IND.
Jayden Daniels projects 17.0 points on a 15.1–20.0 range. The matchup grades as neutral against IND. Usage: pass attempts / game at 26.9. Net: bench Jayden Daniels this week.
Working for Daniels: Rushing floor (8.3 rush att/g).
Where Daniels leads the head-to-head: Floor (15.1 vs 9.8); Pass attempts (26.9 vs 22.7); Last 5 avg (13.6 vs 11.9); Consistency (62% vs 38%); Bust rate (14% vs 30%); Pass attempts / game (26.9 vs 22.7); Completions / game (16.3 vs 13.9); Rush attempts / game (8.3 vs 5.0); Rush yards / game (39.7 vs 29.7); Rushing production share (34% vs 28%).
Recent form
Marcus Mariota's last 4 games: PPR points 3.7, 8.7, 14.7, 20.4 (low to high; the card does not say which came first).
Jayden Daniels's last 5 games: PPR points 17.7, 15.2, 2.7, 17.7, 14.7 (oldest to newest).
Mariota has already beaten Daniels's 17 projection in 1 of his 4; Daniels has beaten Mariota's 17.1 in 2 of his 5.
At least 1 of these 5 games was played before the 2026 season.
Matchup
Marcus Mariota (WAS) faces IND, kickoff Sun, Oct 4, 9:30 AM ET. The matchup is rated neutral. Betting line: implied team total 22.5, spread +3.5.
Jayden Daniels (WAS) faces IND, kickoff Sun, Oct 4, 9:30 AM ET. The matchup is rated neutral. Betting line: implied team total 22.5, spread +3.5.
What flips it
Mariota's edge is 0.1 points (17.1 to 17). Daniels's ceiling (20) clears Mariota's projection, so a big game from Daniels flips it. Mariota's floor (9.8) sits under Daniels's projection, so a quiet game from Mariota flips it too. Confidence in the call: lower.
More start/sit comparisons from this week's PPR projections. Open a pair for the call and the reasoning.
More Jayden Daniels comparisons
- Brock Purdy or Jayden Daniels17.1 · 17.0
- Jayden Daniels or Patrick Mahomes17.0 · 17.0
- C.J. Stroud or Jayden Daniels17.0 · 17.0
- Bryce Young or Jayden Daniels17.2 · 17.0
More Marcus Mariota comparisons
- Bryce Young or Marcus Mariota17.2 · 17.1
- Brock Purdy or Marcus Mariota17.1 · 17.1
- Marcus Mariota or Patrick Mahomes17.1 · 17.0
- Joe Burrow or Marcus Mariota17.6 · 17.1
This week's toughest calls
- Drake Maye or Tyler Shough17.9 · 17.9
- Caleb Williams or Dak Prescott17.7 · 17.7
- Bo Nix or Jared Goff16.7 · 16.7
- Geno Smith or Jordan Love16.3 · 16.3
- Brock Purdy or Patrick Mahomes17.1 · 17.0
- Jordan Love or Kyler Murray16.3 · 16.3
- More QB start/sit calls (quarterbacks this week)