Fernando Mendoza

The No. 1 pick in this year's NFL Draft, Fernando Mendoza might sit behind veteran Kirk Cousins early in the season, but it shouldn't be long before the 2025 Heisman Trophy winner takes over as the Raiders' starter. Mendoza completed 72.0% of his passes last season, averaged 9.3 yards per pass attempt, and threw for 41 touchdowns in 16 games while leading Indiana to an undefeated season and the National Championship. Mendoza has an NFL-caliber arm and terrific ball placement. A student of the game, Mendoza is cool under fire. His functional mobility probably won't translate to much rushing value at the NFL level, although Mendoza could score a few rushing touchdowns every year. Matt Ryan seems like a reasonable comp for Mendoza based on their tools and style of play. We might not see much of a fantasy impact from the rookie in Year 1, particularly when the Raiders are so short on pass-catching firepower beyond TE Brock Bowers, but we can't rule out a fantasy-relevant rookie season for Mendoza.

Mendoza has an easy, quick release. He has the necessary arm strength to make every throw required in the NFL. His touch and ball placement are strong. He leads his receivers on crossers well and doesn't limit YAC opportunities while also being able to drop it in the bucket for go routes. He can sling it from multiple arm angles. His pocket presence is excellent. Mendoza doesn't drift in the pocket. He will climb versus the rush and has no issues standing tall against incoming pressure to deliver the ball to his receivers. While he isn't an electric athlete, Mendoza is a solid opportunistic scrambler. He can pick up a few yards with his legs when the situation calls for it. Mendoza isn't an off-script artist, but he can make some plays outside of structure. It's not a world that he seeks to live in and shouldn't. There's something to be said for being a "boring" quarterback that can be trusted to run an offense. He'll have to adjust to tighter windows in the NFL. It's not a consistent issue for Mendoza, but he did show some hesitancy pulling the trigger early in 2025 when faced with smaller throwing windows. He would pump and pat the ball at times, but he did improve in this aspect throughout the 2025 season, ripping it more consistently with confidence toward the end of the season. Mendoza didn't work much under center, which will be a hurdle with his transition to the NFL with footwork, etc. It will help that last year, Klint Kubiak allowed Sam Darnold to work from shotgun on 63.3% of his dropbacks. Don't be surprised if Kubiak bumps that rate up some for his rookie quarterback in 2026. Dynasty Outlook: After all of the buildup, Fernando Mendoza does land with the Raiders. The talent is real with Mendoza, and he should be at worst the 1.03 in Superflex leagues and a top-ten selection in 1QB formats. With Kirk Cousins in town, it's up in the air when we see Mendoza under center for Las Vegas. He might get a redshirt season if Cousins can play well in 2026. When Mendoza does hit the field, he should be a mid-range QB2 with QB1 upside if Klint Kubiak can get the Raiders' offense rolling.