Titans QB Marcus Mariota (knee) is expected to return for Week 8, according to NFL Network's Ian Rapoport.  That's surprising if he's truly dealing with a Grade 2 MCL sprain, which is considered a 3-4 week injury.  We'll be keeping a close eye on Mariota's progress this coming week.  If his mobility is compromised, he'll be tough to trust in fantasy lineups.

Titans QB Marcus Mariota (knee) has officially been ruled out for this weekend’s game against the Falcons. QB Zach Mettenberger starts in his place. He averaged 233 yards, 1.3 TDs and 1 INT over 6 starts last year. Mettenberger is a low-end QB2 in season-long leagues but an interesting cheap play in DFS.

Bleacher Report's Jason Cole hears that Titans QB Marcus Mariota is expected to miss 3-4 weeks.  That's not a major surprise considering he's dealing with a Grade 2 MCL sprain -- the same injury that has cost Steelers QB Ben Roethlisberger the last 3 games.  QB Zach Mettenberger will start for as long as Mariota is sidelined.  As a rookie last year, Mettenberger completed 59.8% of his passes with 8 TDs and 7 INTs in 7 appearances.  You should be able to do better for your season-long team, but Mettenberger is on the radar as a dirt-cheap DFS play.

Titans QB Marcus Mariota is dealing with a Grade 2 MCL sprain, according to ESPN's Chris Mortensen.  It's the same grade that has cost Steelers QB Ben Roethlisberger 3 games so far.  That doesn't mean Mariota will be out that long, but this is more than just a minor sprain.  His Week 7 status is "uncertain," per Mortensen.  We'll continue to track the rookie's progress, but owners can't be counting on him this week.  He'd be a risky fantasy option even if he plays against the Falcons.  QB Zach Mettenberger will start if Mariota can't.

An MRI on Titans QB Marcus Mariota's injured knee revealed a sprained MCL, HC Ken Whisenhunt said Monday.  The severity will determine the rookie's status going forward.  But Mariota played through it vs. Miami and was walking around Tennessee's facility on Monday.  We'll track his progress throughout the week, although he won't be a recommended Week 7 fantasy starter at less than 100%.

Titans QB Marcus Mariota is scheduled for an MRI on his knee on Monday.  He took a low hit in Sunday's loss to Miami but didn't miss a play.  He was pulled only in the 4th quarter with the game out of hand.  We'll pass along an update on Mariota when we get one.

Titans HC Ken Whisenhunt said the team won't be overprotective of QB Marcus Mariota and will let him use his athleticism.  "There will be (designed run) opportunities, but there will also be a lot of opportunities, just like with Russell Wilson, when the play breaks down and he runs with the ball and extends the play," Whiz said.  This is exactly what we want to hear because it's Mariota's rushing ability that gives him big fantasy upside.  Wilson ran for 489 yards and 4 TDs on his way to a top-12 fantasy finish as a rookie.  Based on college production and measurables, Mariota is a more gifted runner.  If Tennessee allows him to fully utilize that ability, he's capable of pushing for QB1 numbers this season.

Titans WRs coach Shawn Jefferson told ESPN.com this week that he's "giddy" over the future of his team's "deadly accurate" rookie QB Marcus Mariota. "A couple years ago I was back in Detroit and when Matthew Stafford stepped into the huddle the first time, once I heard his voice and the way he called a play, I said, ‘OK, that’s a real one right there.’ Same way with this one," Jefferson said. "He’s real. He’s got the goods. No. 1, it’s his accuracy. No. 2, he’s come in and grasped the offense. And No. 3 is the way the guys respond to him, the way he’s able to go in that huddle and take control.” Mariota's rushing ability figures to mean more to his early fantasy football value, but we'll be quite interested to see how he progresses overall through the summer and beyond.

Titans HC Ken Whisenhunt's offense has been at its best with pocket passers like Ben Roethlisberger, Kurt Warner and Philip Rivers.  But Whiz and his coaching staff will adjust the scheme to take advantage of QB Marcus Mariota's strengths.  "Our coaches have been working on a plan for quite some time now for Marcus," GM Ruston Webster said. "Really to adapting our offense to his skill set -- he has a special skill set. There's really not much he can't do from physical standpoint and he's very bright. That combination is going to allow him to do his own adapting to the NFL game but our coaches have worked very hard on coming up with a system within our system for Marcus. I think it will work well."  Mariota has a significant adjustment to make coming from Oregon's spread offense, so his rookie-year passing numbers might not impress.  But if the Titans take advantage of his rushing ability, Mariota could emerge as a 2015 fantasy factor.

The Titans nabbed WR Dorial Green-Beckham with the 40th overall pick of the 2015 NFL Draft.  He joins QB Marcus Mariota on a re-tooled Tennessee offense.  DGB comes with tons of off-field issues and didn't play at all last season.  But this guy has as much upside as any WR in this class.  Green-Beckham goes 6’5, 237 pounds with 4.49 speed. That’s the same height as Bucs WR Mike Evans, 6 pounds heavier and .04 seconds faster.  Green-Beckham can get down field and is dominant on contests catches.  We'll see how much rust he has to shake off, but he's capable of quickly earning a significant role with the Titans.  Green-Beckham and Justin Hunter figure to battle for a starting job opposite Kendall Wright.

The Titans held on to the #2 pick and selected Oregon QB Marcus Mariota.  The Eagles and Bears reportedly made last-minute overtures to acquire the pick, but Tennessee obviously liked Mariota enough to pass.  He has a significant adjustment to make coming from a spread college offense but has all the tools to develop into a high-quality NFL starter.  The 6'4, 222-pounder has plenty of arm strength and accuracy, completing 68.3% of his passes with 42 TDs vs. 4 INTs this past season.  More importantly to fantasy footballers, Mariota is an elite athlete for the position.  His 4.52-second 40 time was the 6th-fastest by a QB at the Combine in the last 10 years -- just ahead of Colin Kaepernick.  Mariota ran for 700+ yards in all 3 of his college seasons and will bring big rushing upside at the next level.  The passing production is the bigger question, especially on a Titans team with a questionable WR corps.  Consider Mariota the clear favorite to beat out QB Zach Mettenberger for the Week 1 starting job -- because of draft pedigree, if nothing else.