Andy Dalton or Marcus Mariota: Who is a better fantasy pick?

Andy Dalton has been around the league more than he would have liked in the past couple of years. The current New Orleans Saints quarterback saw early NFL career stability with the team that drafted him, the Cincinnati Bengals.

However, on being released by the Bengals in 2022, he ended up playing for three NFL franchises. Thankfully, the 35th pick in the 2011 NFL Draft looks to have found stability in the New Orleans Saints as he tries to get back to his best.

Marcus Mariota is not too different from Dalton, as he had stability earlier in his career before bouncing around the league a bit to find a system that suited him. He started his NFL career with the Tennessee Titans, a team that drafted him second in the 2015 NFL Draft.

Mariota was pretty solid on the Titans, as he led them to three straight winning seasons between 2016 and 2018 before Ryan Tannehill replaced him in 2019. The Titans then released Mariota at the end of the 2019 NFL season. He has since played for the Las Vegas Raiders (as a backup to Derek Carr) and the Atlanta Falcons (as a starter).

Verdict: Mariota is a better fantasy pick due to his undisputed role as the Falcons' starter. On the other hand, Dalton is in a constant battle to be starting QB against Jameis Winston and Taysom Hill.

Why Marcus Mariota is a better fantasy pick than Andy Dalton

Marcus Mariota is a better fantasy pick than Andy Dalton for no reason but consistency in taking the Gridiron. As they say, the best quality is availability, and Marcus Mariota has been available for every game thus far in the 2022 NFL season for the Atlanta Falcons.

On the other hand, Dalton has only suited up for four games out of seven that the New Orleans Saints have played this season.

Worse still, the New Orleans Saints has one of the most unpredictable quarterback rooms in the entire NFL, with none of their QBs guaranteed a starting berth. The Atlanta Falcons do not partake in such shenanigans, as the team has Mariota as their designated QB for the season.

This difference goes a long way in guaranteeing fantasy points, so Marcus Mariota edges Andy Dalton here.

How did Andy Dalton and Marcus Mariota perform last season?

Andy Dalton began last season as a starter for the Chicago Bears, but he was removed from the role in Week 8 due to the emergence of Justin Fields. In the 2021 season, Dalton passed for 1,512 yards, eight touchdowns, and nine interceptions in eight games.

Marcus Mariota, on the other hand, spent last season acting as a backup to Derek Carr on the Las Vegas Raiders and, at times, was used as a gadget quarterback to run or hand off the football. He totalled stats of four passing yards, with no touchdowns or interceptions in 10 games.

How have Andy Dalton and Marcus Mariota performed this season?

Andy Dalton and Marcus Mariota have been thrust into new roles on their new rosters for the 2022 NFL season.

Dalton has passed for 946 yards, seven touchdowns, and four interceptions in four games.

On the other hand, Mariota has passed for 1,179 yards, seven touchdowns, and four interceptions in seven games.