Fernando Mendoza Fantasy Stats

Las Vegas Raiders quarterback Fernando Mendoza will officially back up Kirk Cousins in Sunday's opener against Miami, head coach Klint Kubiak confirmed Friday, according to Sam Gordon. The Raiders' depth chart had already pointed in that direction, listing Mendoza second and Aidan O'Connell third, but Kubiak had stopped short of confirming the order earlier this week. Now there is no question who gets the call if Cousins has to leave the game. Mendoza had an uneven preseason, completing 25 of 45 passes for 240 yards, one touchdown and two interceptions across three appearances. That was enough for the No. 1 overall pick to secure the backup spot while Las Vegas continues bringing him along behind its veteran starter. Nothing changes for Mendoza in standard redraft leagues, where he belongs on the waiver wire for now. He is much more interesting in dynasty and deeper Superflex formats, particularly with a clear path to the field if Cousins struggles or misses time.

The Las Vegas Raiders named veteran quarterback Kirk Cousins as their Week 1 starter on Wednesday, and while some late training camp rumblings hinted at Fernando Mendoza potentially starting his career as the third quarterback behind Aidan O'Connell, the first overall pick in the 2026 NFL Draft will serve as the team's primary backup, according to The Athletic's Sam Warren. Mendoza appeared in all three of the Raiders' preseason games, turning in a mixed bag on his way to a 56.5% completion percentage and two interceptions to his one touchdown. The Raiders face a daunting schedule to begin the year, a fact that could lead to early calls from fans to put the rookie on the field, but also a landmine that the coaching staff must navigate with the ultimate goal of setting Mendoza up for long-term success. Equipped with the tools and mindset to eventually become the face of the franchise, Mendoza is RotoBaller's QB29 and not a player who needs to be drafted as anything more than a third quarterback in 2026 superflex leagues.

Las Vegas Raiders head coach Klint Kubiak is open to naming Aidan O'Connell as the QB2 over rookie first overall pick Fernando Mendoza, according to Michael Smith of NBC Sports. This would make the No. 1 overall pick the QB3 to start the season for the Raiders. During the preseason, Mendoza had 25 completions on 45 passing attempts for 240 yards, one touchdown and two interceptions. It has widely been expected that Kirk Cousins would be the starting quarterback for Week 1, with Mendoza being the backup. However, not many would have thought the rookie would start the season as the third-string quarterback. "We've got three guys that are ready to play," Kubiak told team reporters. "It's going to be some hard decisions on who's 1, who's 2. That's not a decision we have to make today, but those are discussions that are ongoing." If this happens, nothing much will change for Mendoza's fantasy outlook for redraft leagues and dynasty leagues. We knew he was a long-term fantasy investment that would not have much fantasy relevance until, at best, the end of the 2026 season.

Taking over early in the game and playing mostly with the starting offense, Las Vegas Raiders rookie quarterback Fernando Mendoza struggled against a unit of 49ers reserves in Thursday night's preseason finale. The first overall pick in the 2026 NFL Draft completed seven of his 14 pass attempts for 57 yards while throwing an interception and taking two sacks, and with veteran Kirk Cousins now expected to take the starting job into the regular season, Mendoza's tune-up opportunities are about to see a dramatic decline. "He needs another three preseason games, and all those rookies do," head coach Klint Kubiak said after the game. "Now that the season is starting, the practice reps get smaller, and that's just life. But us as coaches, we've got to get them ready to play and keep developing." The Raiders face a difficult schedule to begin the year, so the team may need to be strategic about when they give Mendoza his first career start, and with a steep learning curve still ahead of him, he is not a player who needs to be drafted in single quarterback leagues.

Las Vegas Raiders rookie quarterback Fernando Mendoza got his first professional start in Thursday night's preseason matchup with the Texans, and on the team's opening drive, he threw an interception to rookie linebacker Wade Woodaz that was returned 80 yards for a touchdown. Playing the entire first half, the first overall pick in the 2026 NFL Draft led four more drives, resulting in a field goal and three punts before Aidan O'Connell took over in the second half and managed a come-from-behind victory. Along with a handful of starters, veteran Kirk Cousins was given the night off following a productive joint practice with the Texans, but after the game, head coach Klint Kubiak declined to name a starter for the regular season. "We got another week. I don't want anyone to be comfortable in their job... It should always be that way for all positions. So, let's keep going." Barring an unforeseen surprise, Mendoza will begin his rookie campaign backing up Cousins. Still, he has reportedly impressed behind the scenes and could find the field earlier than initially projected, making him an intriguing late-round pick in superflex leagues as RotoBaller's QB29.

Las Vegas Raiders quarterback Fernando Mendoza is expected to play roughly the first half of Thursday night's preseason game against the Houston Texans, according to Adam Schefter. Aidan O'Connell is expected to take over for the second half. Mendoza got an extended look in the opener against Arizona, completing 10 of 16 passes for 97 yards and a touchdown over four drives. The Raiders have kept adding to his workload since then. He saw valuable snaps against Houston's first-team defense during Tuesday's joint practice, while Kirk Cousins continued to handle the bulk of the first-team work. Head coach Klint Kubiak has been clear that Mendoza needs reps, and Thursday should give the No. 1 overall pick plenty more. Cousins still sits ahead of him, but Mendoza is getting a longer runway in these preseason games as Las Vegas continues bringing its rookie quarterback along before Week 1.

Las Vegas Raiders rookie quarterback Fernando Mendoza put up solid numbers in his preseason debut against the Cardinals, and on Tuesday he was given first-team reps against the Houston Texans defense during joint practice. Still, he acknowledges that he has plenty of room for growth. In a SportsCenter segment following practice, ESPN's Ryan McFadden points to Mendoza's timing and anticipation as areas that the coaching staff is looking for improvement, noting head coach Klint Kubiak's attention to detail on a play-to-play basis. The coaching staff has reportedly been impressed by the work ethic of the first overall pick, and there is confidence that Mendoza will make the necessary strides as he gets more time on task, with extended reps expected for him in Thursday night's preseason matchup with the Texans.

Las Vegas Raiders rookie quarterback Fernando Mendoza got extensive reps with the first-team offense on Tuesday during the team's joint practice with the Houston Texans, according to Sam Warren of The Athletic. Veteran Kirk Cousins would go first, but Mendoza subbed in for a few team periods. The first overall pick from Indiana is gaining steam to potentially steal the starting gig from Cousins to begin the 2026 regular season, and he looked like a future star in his NFL debut in last Thursday's preseason loss to the Arizona Cardinals, going 10-for-16 passing for 97 yards with a touchdown and no interceptions. He also had six yards rushing. Cousins will most likely open the year as the Raiders' starter under center, but if Mendoza continues to impress, he will get his shot sooner rather than later. Fantasy managers in single-year leagues must still temper expectations, as Mendoza could face a steep learning curve with a weak collection of receivers if he is making starts in 2026.

Las Vegas Raiders rookie quarterback Fernando Mendoza showed some promising traits during the 27-14 loss to the Arizona Cardinals on Thursday night. While completing 10 of his 16 pass attempts for 97 yards and a touchdown, Mendoza also flashed his willingness to run with two carries for six yards. His touchdown pass went to sophomore wide receiver Jack Bech, whom he hit on a quick slant that split two defenders with perfect ball placement for the six-yard score. Mendoza showed confidence and decisiveness on most plays, but also left room for improvement in his first preseason game. As RotoBaller's QB29 overall, it's only a matter of time before Mendoza gets a true chance to exceed expectations in Las Vegas.

Las Vegas Raiders rookie quarterback Fernando Mendoza took over on the second drive of the team's preseason opening loss to the Cardinals, and in almost three full quarters of action, he completed 10-of-16 attempts for 97 yards and a touchdown pass to second-year receiver Jack Bech. After the game, he drew the praise of his head coach. "I see an ascending player," Klint Kubiak told reporters on Thursday night. "We just got to keep getting better." While the first overall pick of the 2026 Draft showed promise in his first NFL action, he was quick to look for areas of improvement, reflecting on his night by saying, "It showed me that I need to grow a lot... I'm definitely [watching the game film] after this. I have nothing else to do tonight." Veteran Kirk Cousins looked sharp in his first start with the team, completing 5-of-6 passes for 50 yards and a touchdown of his own, but recent reports out of Raiders camp have suggested that Mendoza could see regular-season work earlier than initially expected. At RotoBaller's QB29, the rookie is not worthy of selection in single-quarterback leagues, but he's an ideal upside swing as a third quarterback in superflex formats.