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.

ESPN's Adam Schefter reports that Fernando Mendoza has already made a strong impression during his first month with the Las Vegas Raiders.

Fantasy Impact

Raiders coach Klint Kubiak noted that Mendoza has been "as advertised." Kirk Cousins got all the reps with the first-team offense at practice on Wednesday and remains the likely favorite to start Week 1 this upcoming season, but Mendoza should find his way onto the field at some point during the season.