Fernando Mendoza Fantasy Football Impact With The Las Vegas Raiders
Kody Malstrom reacts to the Raiders drafting Fernando Mendoza with the No. 1 overall pick in the 2026 NFL Draft and what it means for fantasy football
With so many ways the draft could have shaken out, Fernando Mendoza going to the Las Vegas Raiders at 1.01 was in the cards throughout the whole draft process. A clear QB1 in this year’s class, Mendoza cemented himself as the number one overall pick by flashing his arm talent at his pro day, consistently hitting his pass catchers in stride with each rep.
While it remains to be seen if Mendoza can accelerate their rebuild, he will at least have the opportunity to hit the ground running as their starting quarterback in week one.
Fernando Mendoza Fantasy Football Impact With the Las Vegas Raiders
A surgeon in the pocket, Mendoza’s pinpoint accuracy will instantly elevate the Raiders' offense, giving them a steady source of production under center. Especially after the Raiders made a concentrated effort to protect him this offseason, spending big money retooling their offensive line to help ward off pressure in the backfield.
Even with his group of pass catchers still underwhelming on paper, any boost in production at quarterback will help turn the Raiders into more of a well-rounded unit. If Mendoza is capable of stretching out the secondary, then this would open up wider running lanes in the middle for Ashton Jeanty, which would apply serious pressure to opposing front sevens on a weekly basis.
While it may take some time for the Raiders to turn into a formidable contender, they will at least have an arm they can lean on, allowing them to turn their sights towards acquiring skill players to help Mendoza reach his ceiling. There may be some bumps in the road, but any form of success from Mendoza as their day one starter is exactly what the Raiders need after years of searching for their franchise quarterback.
Regarding fantasy, Mendoza (16.5 PPG) is projected to be in the same range as Cam Ward (16.4) and Bryce Young (17.2) in our per-game fantasy football projections. Two quarterbacks who have flashed their arm talent, yet are still in need of help in order to reach their ceiling.
Should You Plan to Draft Fernando Mendoza this year?
With the Raiders in desperate need of bolstering their wide receiver room, Mendoza is, at best, a stash in fantasy. Matthew Freedman, Ian Hartiz and Dwain McFarland’s current fantasy football rankings echo that sentiment, projecting him to be QB24 while his ADP is currently at 172.8.
If you are in a dynasty league, consider drafting Mendoza late in the first round of your rookie draft, depending on your league size, needs and format. If you are already set at RB/WR, then it’s worth reaching for him as the drop-off to the next tier of players at his position is sizable.
In a keeper league, Mendoza is worth a late add, giving you the ability to monitor how aggressive the Raiders get with upgrading their offense without paying a premium on your quarterback in the coming years.
2026 Scouting Report For Fernando Mendoza
Speaking of Hartiz, he did a fantastic deep dive on the former Indiana Hoosier, pointing out all his strengths and weaknesses in his Fernando Mendoza scouting report. For Mendoza to succeed at the next level, he will need to do a better job at avoiding sacks, as his production takes a nose-dive when pressured. Especially with his athleticism not taking him nearly as far as it did in college, with defenses as speedy as ever.
Very few glaring weaknesses aside, Mendoza is still “tough as nails” and clearly worth the number one overall pick in the NFL draft, giving the Raiders their quarterback of the future. If they can add more talent around him, then expect Mendoza to skyrocket up the draft boards, rivaling the top 10 of the position.
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