The Washington Commanders added a quarterback at No. 223 in Athan Kaliakmanis, who displayed an 87.6 PFF Passing Grade (20th-best in CFB) with the massive frame to absorb hits and still deliver strikes down the seam. Kaliakmanis is coming off a career-best campaign where he generated 26 Big-Time Throws and a dominant 11.2-yard Average Depth of Target, proving he possesses the aggressive “gunslinger” mentality and high-level processing to operate at the next level if called upon.
In dynasty Superflex formats, Kaliakmanis should be viewed as a taxi-squad add at best as is coming into compete with Marcus Mariota and Sam Hartman for the backup role in Washington behind Jayden Daniels.
Washington Commanders quarterback Marcus Mariota saw more ...
Across 11 games (eight starts) in 2025, Washington ...
Washington Commanders quarterback Marcus Mariota (hand) ...
Commanders head coach Dan Quinn said that veteran quarterback Marcus Mariota will get the start in place of the injured Jayden Daniels. This move comes with little surprise, however there was small hope that Daniels could make a late attempt towards starting this week.
Mariota will face the Las Vegas Raiders at home in what should be a good matchup for fantasy football. After getting pushed around by the Green Bay Packers defense, Mariota will look to get Terry McLaurin going after a slow start. Expect Zach Ertz to get plenty of target share while Deebo Samuel continues to display his diverse skill set.
Fantasy managers who can do a 1:1 replacement should see a decent opportunity for limited dropoff for just this week. Mariota has rushing ability to pop for at least 1 good game in Daniels’ absence. Should this injury linger into multi-week territory, then there could be some major fantasy ramifications.
Author: Jeremiah Retzlaff (@coachretzlaff1)
In a strategic yet understated move, the Washington Commanders have signed quarterback Marcus Mariota, formerly of the Philadelphia Eagles. Following a tumultuous 2023 season, Washington will look to Mariota, the former Heisman Trophy winner and second overall pick in the 2015 NFL Draft, to bring his experience and versatility to the Commanders’ quarterback room.
Before a quiet 2023 season in a backup role to Jalen Hurts, Mariota started 13 games for the Atlanta Falcons before being benched for Desmond Ritter. He may end up in a similar situation yet again with the Commanders owning the 2nd overall pick and presumably taking a QB.
At this point in Mariota’s career, he’ll mainly bring his experience and veteran presence. He has always had dual-threat capability, which may add a dynamic dimension to the team’s offense should he be called upon to start. Sam Howell and Jake Fromm are still there, the former showing flashes last season, but ultimately struggling since offensive line could not keep him protected. With defensive mind Dan Quinn at the helm and Kliff Kingsbury at OC, Washington’s new ownership is looking to revamp the franchise with a fresh start. Mariota will likely be a sideline mentor to the next face of the franchise, whoever that ends up being next month at the NFL Draft.
