Who Should I Start? Patrick Mahomes or C.J. Stroud
Week 1 Projections
| Fant. Pts. |
Rush. Yds. |
Rush TD |
Rec. | Rec. Yds. |
Rec TD |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 23.5 | 17.3 | 0.2 | 0.0 | 0.0 | 0.0 |
Patrick Mahomes News
Saturday, August 29, 10:05 AM
Kansas City Chiefs starting quarterback Patrick Mahomes is on track to start Week 1 against the Denver Broncos on Monday, Sept. 14, NFL Network's Ian Rapoport reported on Saturday. "Maybe [the Chiefs} will have to adjust to a little more run game, a little more defense; we shall see," Rapoport said of Kansas City's Week 1 scheme. "But Patrick Mahomes is tracking to be on the field when the season begins." The 30-year-old signal-caller has been a full participant in training camp but has not seen any game action since tearing his ACL and LCL in Week 15 against the Los Angeles Chargers last year. The two-time Pro Bowler has seen dips in his production over the last two seasons, and he ended 2025 with a 62.7% completion rate and a 22:11 TD:INT ratio. Given the major knee surgery and the fact that the Chiefs' offense lacks the downfield explosiveness it had a few years ago, fantasy managers should consider Mahomes a high-end QB2 heading into the 2026 season.
Week 1 Projections
| Fant. Pts. |
Rush. Yds. |
Rush TD |
Rec. | Rec. Yds. |
Rec TD |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 22.7 | 12.8 | 0.1 | 0.0 | 0.0 | 0.0 |
C.J. Stroud News
Wednesday, September 2, 9:30 AM
ESPN's Jeremy Fowler reports that Houston Texans quarterback C.J. Stroud is "prepared to play out this season without a new deal," despite the Texans making what they considered a competitive offer, according to several people with knowledge of the situation. The current sentiment is that Stroud will "most likely not end up with a new deal" before Week 1. However, Fowler's understanding is that the Texans are prepared to put Stroud in "what it feels is a strong place among the 12 QBs in the $50 million club." If Stroud bets on himself and has a strong 2026 bounce-back campaign, he can "let an exploding QB market do the work for him." The former second overall pick out of Ohio State had a strong training camp this summer and has plenty of talent around him (even with receiver Jayden Higgins (knee) done for the year), making him a popular rebound candidate as a QB2 with upside for fantasy football purposes. If Stroud does not ink a new deal with Houston before Week 1, he will have plenty of incentive to turn his game around after two straight disappointing seasons.
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 23.5 points this week while C.J. Stroud is projected to score 22.7 points.
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