Fernando Mendoza · Tua Tagovailoa · 2026 week 1

Fernando Mendoza or Tua Tagovailoa?

Wondering who you should start this week — Fernando Mendoza or Tua Tagovailoa? The start/sit call and the numbers behind it are below, plus who wins a straight-up trade. Rebuilt nightly.

Start Tua TagovailoaTua Tagovailoa projects 1.7 PPR points clear of Fernando Mendoza in week 1, drawing PIT — the 5th-ranked matchup for QBs. The numbers behind the call are below; overrule them with your eyes open.

Player	Wk 1	Proj (PPR)	Matchup	Form L3	Trade value	Status
Fernando Mendoza	@ NO	16.6	27th · tough	–	81	healthy
Tua Tagovailoa START	@ PIT	18.3	5th · soft	10.7	52	healthy

QBs vs NO recently: Brady Cook 4.7 pts (W16) · Cam Ward 17 pts (W17) · Kirk Cousins 10.2 pts (W18).

QBs vs PIT recently: Jared Goff 26.5 pts (W16) · Shedeur Sanders 11.4 pts (W17) · Lamar Jackson 21.4 pts (W18).

Who wins a straight-up trade?

Fernando Mendoza carries the higher trade value — 81 against 52 (a 36% gap). In a one-for-one, the side receiving Fernando Mendoza gets the most. Momentum: Fernando Mendoza -41 and Tua Tagovailoa -7 over the last 30 days.

Open in Start/Sit (any scoring) Open in the Trade Analyzer

More QB decisions

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Game logs, matchup ranks and form are the 2025 season — 2026 hasn’t kicked off. Projections, schedule and trade values are current 2026 numbers, refreshed nightly.