Mendoza Set for 20 Attempts in Preseason Week 2 as Raiders Rest Cousins
Rookie Fernando Mendoza flashed 97 yards and a TD in Week 1. Tonight he's lined up for real volume behind starter Kirk Cousins — here's the fantasy read.
Rookie volume is climbing, but Cousins and O'Connell still block the depth chart.
- Mendoza: 10-of-16, 97 yds, 1 TD in Week 1
- Raiders QB1 Cousins ranks #189 overall (#38 QB)
- Stroud projected 20-25 snaps tonight
- Herbert's starters play exactly one series
- Slate opens 8 p.m. ET, second game 10 p.m. ET
The Raiders' quarterback picture is getting interesting fast. Fernando Mendoza went 10-of-16 for 97 yards and a touchdown in his preseason debut, and tonight he's projected for roughly 20 attempts once Kirk Cousins and Aidan O'Connell cycle through. Cousins is slated to start against the Texans at 8 p.m. ET, but expect only a series or two before the reserves take the wheel for the rest of the night.
That's a meaningful runway for a rookie. Cousins carries almost no fantasy weight anyway — he ranks #189 overall (#38 among QBs) in our model after posting 104 PPR points across 10 games last season (2025, actual). O'Connell threw for just 102 yards in his lone 2025 appearance. The Raiders aren't protecting a workhorse here, which is exactly why Mendoza's snap count matters more than the box score suggests.
What Stroud And Herbert Give Us Tonight
C.J. Stroud is expected to run about 20 to 25 snaps behind Houston's first-team line, with Woody Marks in the backfield. One extended drive or a single explosive play gets him over the modest yardage numbers in play. Stroud finished 2025 (actual) with 3,041 passing yards, 19 touchdowns and eight picks — good for 209 PPR points and a #57 overall ranking (#21 QB) heading into the year.
The nightcap is a tighter window. Jim Harbaugh confirmed his Chargers starters get exactly one series, so Justin Herbert and new offensive coordinator Mike McDaniel are a quick-hitter. If McDaniel wants to show off his new quarterback with a splash play early, Herbert clears a low yardage bar and heads to the bench. Herbert's floor is not the question — he put up 313 PPR points over 16 games in 2025 (actual), ranking #18 overall and #8 at the position.
The Fantasy Fallout
None of tonight moves your draft board on Herbert or Stroud — they're locked-in early-round quarterbacks regardless of a single preseason series. The name worth tracking is Mendoza. He's a WATCH for now: the volume trend is real, but Cousins and O'Connell still sit ahead of him on the depth chart, so he's a dynasty stash and a monitor-the-camp situation rather than a redraft add. If the reps keep climbing and O'Connell stalls, that calculus changes in a hurry.
