Fernando Mendoza Fantasy Stats

NFL Network's Ian Rapoport said on Thursday that Las Vegas Raiders veteran quarterback Kirk Cousins is expected to mentor first overall pick Fernando Mendoza this year, and Cousins is expected to be the team's starter under center to kick off the regular season in early September. Rapoport also says that the Raiders hope Cousins can run the offense all year while Mendoza learns on the sidelines. In a perfect scenario, Mendoza would be ready to roll as the full-time starter in 2027. Given Cousins' declining play and elevated injury risk at 37 years old, it would be a surprise if he were the Raiders' starter in 2026 from wire to wire. The 22-year-old Mendoza should be the No. 2 pick in rookie-only dynasty/keeper leagues this year, behind only Cardinals running back Jeremiyah Love. The Indiana product doesn't have a ton of dual-threat upside at the next level, but his accuracy in the pocket should give him a safe long-term fantasy floor while paired with offensive-minded head coach Klint Kubiak. In redraft leagues, Mendoza won't be as attractive in 2026, but he'll still have appeal as a QB2 with upside in superflex setups if Cousins falters or gets hurt.

The Las Vegas Raiders officially selected Indiana quarterback Fernando Mendoza with the No. 1 overall pick in the 2026 NFL draft on Thursday night. What we've known for months is finally official. The 22-year-old Heisman Trophy winner led Indiana to an undefeated season in 2025 and the national championship by completing 72% of his 379 pass attempts for 3,535 yards, 41 touchdowns, and only six interceptions in 16 games played. He was also a threat on the ground, carrying the ball 90 times for 276 yards and seven touchdowns. Running back Jeremiyah Love should come off the board first in rookie-only dynasty drafts, but Mendoza should be 1.02 in superflex leagues. The Raiders signed veteran Kirk Cousins to serve as a short-term bridge as the Raiders ease Mendoza into the NFL spotlight, but Mendoza should take over the starting gig under center in Vegas sooner rather than later. Mendoza will have a high-end fantasy ceiling in dynasty/keeper leagues because of his elite accuracy, quick release, and excellent decision-making skills. He's not quite a high-end dual threat as a rusher, but he should have a safe floor in the long-term. The Indiana product has been compared to both Cousins and Jared Goff for his ability to pick a defense apart from the pocket with pinpoint accuracy.

Indiana quarterback Fernando Mendoza has been the anticipated first overall pick for months, and on Thursday night, when the 2026 NFL Draft opens, the Heisman Trophy winner and National Champion will officially become a Las Vegas Raider. The Raiders have made moves all offseason to set their young investment up for long-term success. New head coach Klint Kubiak is fresh off a Super Bowl win with the Seahawks, and the team made Tyler Linderbaum the highest-paid center in NFL history. Vegas also signed veteran quarterback Kirk Cousins, who should allow Mendoza some runway to learn behind the scenes. In the right atmosphere, which the team has clearly made strides to build around him, Mendoza has the play style, size, and makeup to enjoy a long and successful NFL career. How that translates to fantasy impact may be a different story. While he is a capable runner in got-to-have-it situations, Mendoza will not reliably add fantasy points with his legs, which is why he is not even locked in as a top-two selection in superflex rookie drafts. While the Raiders appear to be getting a player who can grow into the face of the franchise, he will enter the league as RotoBaller's dynasty QB16, and his fantasy ceiling may ultimately top out as a midrange QB2.

Indiana quarterback prospect Fernando Mendoza is the consensus No. 1 pick in Thursday's NFL Draft, but there's a little less certainty about his first-round status in rookie fantasy football drafts. Given that rookie drafts (and non-superflex fantasy leagues as a whole) place less relative value on the quarterback position than NFL teams, other names are in the mix for managers to select ahead of Mendoza. For example, running back Jeremiyah Love is the projected No. 1 pick in rookie fantasy drafts, followed by a slew of receivers. Mendoza is the top quarterback in RotoBaller's rookie rankings, but he's all the way down at No. 9 overall. At that point, he's a pretty safe bet to be a first-rounder in rookie drafts, but he's not a lock. If non-quarterback-needy managers are picking near the end of the first round, they could opt for a different position and let Mendoza fall to the early second. He'd be a bargain there, offering managers a mix of rushing and passing upside. Outside of a little concern about the weapons around him in Vegas, Mendoza has a very encouraging fantasy outlook.

Projected No. 1 overall pick Fernando Mendoza has informed the NFL that he is not planning to attend the NFL draft in Pittsburgh at the end of this month, sources told Adam Schefter of ESPN. Mendoza wants to share the draft experience with his family in Miami. The Indiana quarterback will be selected by the Las Vegas Raiders at No. 1 overall, although the Raiders already signed veteran signal-caller Kirk Cousins, and he's expected to open the 2026 season as the starter under center while Mendoza sits and watches early on in his NFL career. The Heisman Trophy winner led the Hoosiers to an undefeated season and the national championship in 2025, throwing for 3,535 yards, 41 touchdowns, and only six interceptions in 16 games played. He also had 90 carries for 276 rushing yards and seven rushing touchdowns. Mendoza doesn't have an obvious weakness and should have a pretty high floor for those looking to take him at No. 1 overall in rookie-only drafts later this year.

The Las Vegas Raiders will host Indiana quarterback Fernando Mendoza on a top-30 visit in two weeks, sources told Ian Rapoport of the NFL Network. The Raiders are expected to take Mendoza with the first overall pick in next month's draft. Mendoza will take part in Indiana's pro day on Wednesday, April 1, after not taking part in any drills at the scouting combine at the end of February. The Hoosiers' signal-caller led the team to an undefeated season in 2025 and the national championship. He completed a career-high 72% of his 379 pass attempts for 3,535 yards, 41 touchdowns, and only six interceptions in 16 games played and added 90 carries for 276 yards on the ground and seven additional touchdowns. Even though the Raiders are fully expected to make him their franchise QB in April, they reportedly don't want him to open the 2026 season as the starter under center. That shouldn't change the fact that Mendoza should be the first overall pick in rookie-only drafts this fall. Mendoza can do everything on the football field and has an incredibly high floor at the next level.

The Las Vegas Raiders are widely expected to take Indiana quarterback Fernando Mendoza with the first overall pick in April's 2026 NFL draft, but "their preference is to not start him immediately," according to Dianna Russini of The Athletic. The Raiders are releasing veteran Geno Smith after a disastrous 2025 season as the starter, but they will be looking for another veteran QB in free agency to serve as the bridge to Mendoza. It's more reason to temper expectations for Mendoza in his first year in the NFL in single-year leagues, but this news shouldn't mean all that much for his dynasty/keeper value long-term. Mendoza was the Heisman Trophy winner last year and led Indiana to an undefeated season and national championship while throwing for 3,535 yards, 41 touchdowns, and only six interceptions. He added276 rushing yards and seven touchdowns. Mendoza might be Vegas' Week 1 starter this fall, but he has all the attributes of a future star in the league.

Indiana quarterback and top NFL Draft prospect Fernando Mendoza continues to generate plenty of buzz. Even though the reigning national champion didn't work out at the Scouting Combine, he still attended for team interviews and media availability. With the draft less than two months away, it appears that Mendoza remains the consensus No. 1 pick in most NFL mock drafts. However, there's a bit of a discrepancy between NFL mock drafts and fantasy football mock drafts. In superflex dynasty leagues, managers will have to make a tougher decision between Mendoza or Notre Dame running back Jeremiyah Love at the 1.01 selection. Mendoza won the Heisman Trophy with 3,535 passing yards, 41 passing touchdowns, 276 rushing yards, seven rushing touchdowns, and six interceptions. He was elite, but his projected NFL landing spot -- the Las Vegas Raiders -- is less than ideal. The alternative is Love, who had 1,652 scrimmage yards and 21 touchdowns. Those are impressive numbers considering that he shared some of his snap share with Jadarian Price and also dealt with adversity after Notre Dame made a midseason coaching change. The decision of which player to draft at 1.01 will likely come down to managers' positional needs and Love's landing spot. For what it's worth, RotoBaller's latest rookie superflex rankings have Love at #1 and Mendoza at #2.