Who Should I Start? Patrick Mahomes or C.J. Stroud
Week 1 Projections
| Fant. Pts. |
Rush. Yds. |
Rush TD |
Rec. | Rec. Yds. |
Rec TD |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 22.7 | 12.5 | 0.2 | 0.0 | 0.0 | 0.0 |
Patrick Mahomes News
Friday, February 20, 3:11 PM
Kansas City Chiefs head coach Andy Reid said that quarterback Patrick Mahomes (knee), who has been rehabbing the last two months after having surgery to fix the torn ACL and LCL in his left knee, is "already showing progress," according to ESPN's Nate Taylor. "He's around here all the time," Reid said of Mahomes. "He spends a ton of time here, seven hours a day. He's in there cranking away and making progress every day. It's great to see." The three-time Super Bowl MVP and six-time Pro Bowler still has a lot of rehab left, but if he keeps making great strides, he will have a shot to be ready for Week 1 of the 2026 regular season this fall. Even before his late-season knee injury, Mahomes and the Chiefs offense had taken a step back, and he finished with 3,587 passing yards, a career-low 22 touchdown passes, and 11 picks in 14 games. Coming off major knee surgery, Mahomes will no longer be in consideration as a high-end QB1 in fantasy in 2026 as he heads into his 10th year in the NFL.
Week 1 Projections
| Fant. Pts. |
Rush. Yds. |
Rush TD |
Rec. | Rec. Yds. |
Rec TD |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 18.2 | 9.0 | 0.1 | 0.0 | 0.0 | 0.0 |
C.J. Stroud News
Tuesday, February 24, 7:36 AM
Houston Texans general manager Nick Caserio said that any talk about trading quarterback C.J. Stroud is "moronic," according to Jonathan M. Alexander of the Houston Chronicle. Caserio said that Stroud will be the team's starting QB in 2026. Stroud was a Pro Bowler in his rookie campaign in 2023, but he has regressed each of the last two seasons. The 24-year-old former second overall pick in 2023 out of Ohio State completed 64.5% of his passes for 3,041 yards, 19 touchdowns, and eight interceptions in 14 regular-season games in 2025 to finish as the QB21 in overall fantasy points. He was much worse in two playoff games, going 41-for-79 passing for 462 yards, two touchdowns, and five interceptions. He also lost two fumbles. The one positive takeaway from 2025 is that Stroud had a career-high completion percentage. He's still young enough to bounce back, but fantasy managers shouldn't feel comfortable rolling with him as their QB1 in 2026.
Patrick Mahomes vs. C.J. Stroud
Still trying to decide between Mahomes and Stroud? Check on the latest news to make sure both players are active and healthy. Our PPR projections show that Patrick Mahomes is projected to score 22.7 points this week while C.J. Stroud is projected to score 18.2 points.
Latest Fantasy News
