Kirk Cousins

Kirk Cousins starting Week 1 has always been the expectation, as the Raiders have been open about not wanting to rush Fernando Mendoza into action. Cousins ranked 20th in True Passer Rating in 2025, showing that, while not the QB he once was, he still has enough in the tank to be a capable bridge to the Mendoza era.

Cousins is currently ranked as QB36 on PlayerProfiler’s 2026 Redraft Rankings. While Cousins will begin the year as the starter, he will be hard to trust as a fantasy option due to the lack of proven capable pass catchers beyond all-world TE Brock Bowers. He is best left undrafted in 1QB leagues, but can be drafted in superflex leagues as a bye week or injury fill-in starter.

So you’re saying there’s a chance? Kirk Cousins posted an 83.3-percent True Completion Percentage on his lone drive, capping it with a 13-yard Red Zone touchdown strike to tight end Michael Mayer. Head coach Klint Kubiak maintains Cousins is the clear frontrunner for Week 1 starter duties, yet rookie Fernando Mendoza is now well-positioned to siphon first-team practice reps following a dazzling preseason debut.

The clock is ticking on Cousins, and we will continue to monitor Mendoza’s first-team snaps throughout camp. If Mendoza continues to look undeniable in preseason, Cousins will inevitably step aside and support the franchise rookie’s ascendance as early as Week 1. Mendoza is one of the best-value QB selections in superflex leagues, especially fantasy football dynasty formats.

Kirk Cousins is dominating first-team repetitions this offseason, consolidating his grip on the starting job despite posting just 9.9 Fantasy Points Per Game in 2025. This deployment provides critical development runway for rookie Fernando Mendoza, the No. 1 overall pick who registered a elite 90.3 College QBR at Indiana.

Unless the landscape shifts when full training camp launches, expect Cousins to operate under center for Week 1 while the high-pedigree rookie watches and learns. Cousins is an early-season option in deep superflex leagues.

Brock Bowers suffered through a Week 1 PCL sprain and bone bruise, yet he still managed 14.7 Fantasy Points Per Game, ranking No. 2 at the position.

Now fully healthy, he returns to Klint Kubiak’s offense that helped him post an impressive 23.6-percent Target Share and 22.2-percent Target Rate despite his health-compromised 2025 season. Raiders team reporter Levi Edwards also reported, “it seems the Raiders’ coaching staff will give TE Brock Bowers every opportunity to replicate his historic rookie campaign.”

The talent profile is undeniable, making him a prime candidate to recapture the overall TE1 crown this year. At just 23-years old, Bowers is an absolute smash in the first round in all fantasy football formats based on position scarcity, especially dynasty leagues.

The Las Vegas Raiders are going through all the right motions giving 37-year-old veteran Kirk Cousins the vast majority of first-team reps in practice, leaning into his experience despite the presence of a true franchise quarterback directly behind him. On paper, it makes sense to have the No. 1 overall pick and reigning Heisman winner Fernando Mendoza—who enters the league boasting an elite 90.3 College QBR and a 94th-percentile 9.3 College Yards Per Attempt—initially sit and cook with the rookies and third-teamers.

The brain trust of Klint Kubiak, John Spytek, and Tom Brady are unified in letting the elite rookie prospect marinate. Once the bullets start flying and Mendoza outperforms Cousins routinely in practice, he will be thrust into the starting lineup at least by the Raiders’ Week 13 bye week, though likely much sooner. The smart money is on Mendoza starting games sooner rather than later.