Rookie quarterback Marcus Mariota returned from a two-week hiatus due to a knee injury and led the Tennessee Titans to a 34-28 overtime road victory to snap the New Orleans Saints’ three-game win streak.
The Titans, five days removed from firing head coach Ken Whisenhunt, won their first game since Week 1 under interim coach Mike Mularkey, and they now sit at 2-6 and remain in the AFC South cellar.
But Mariota and few offensive playmakers rewarded owners with big performances as the fantasy playoff push strengthens.
Mariota scored 32 fantasy points, tied for the league high among quarterbacks in Week 9, in what was easily his best performance of the season.
ESPN Stats & Info, citing Elias Sports Bureau, highlighted how rare Mariota’s heroics were:
The rookie emerged as a waiver steal in the Titans’ first three games with an average of 19 points per game before a two-week falloff then another two-week injury hiatus.
While Sunday’s 371-yard, four-touchdown performance was exceptional, it came against a shaky Saints defense that’s allowing 29.7 points per game and is a week removed from allowing seven touchdowns from the New York Giants.
With fantasy playoff races heating up, Mariota should be considered as a strong QB2 option for ambitious owners with little depth at the position. He’s owned in just 37.2 percent of leagues, which makes him a viable bench option.
The Titans play the Jacksonville Jaguars in two of their next four games, but first they meet the Carolina Panthers, who remain unbeaten in large part because of their stingy defense.
Titans running back Antonio Andrews turned in a 10-point fantasy performance, tied for his second-best of the season, but the bulk of his production came on a 38-yard run and 23-yard catch.
Andrews positioned the Titans to the red zone on the lengthy run but didn’t get to finish his drive two plays later, when Mariota tossed a two-yard touchdown to tight end Delanie Walker. Take away his big run, and Andrews averaged just 2.7 yards per carry.
Given his burst-or-bust nature and the Titans’ upcoming matchups, consider Andrews a long-shot flex start.
Walker also had a season-high fantasy performance with 23 points, just the second time overall and first since Week 1 he reached double digits.
Walker entered the game ranked a lowly 15th among fantasy tight ends, speaking to his weak performances aligned with the Titans’ overall struggles in 2015.
But given the weak fantasy nature of the position, he’s definitely worth a waiver-wire addition if available. And that may be so, as he’s owned in just over 80 percent of leagues.
All stats courtesy of ESPN.com standard leagues.
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