Who Should I Start? Patrick Mahomes or Justin Fields

Thursday, February 12, 1:27 PM

Kansas City Chiefs quarterback Patrick Mahomes (knee) is no longer a top-tier fantasy option, primarily due to injury uncertainty. Mahomes tore his ACL and LCL in Week 15, and it's currently unclear whether he'll be ready for the start of the 2026 regular season. He's still one of the most talented players in NFL history, but without a clear timeline, fantasy managers shouldn't expect to rely on him as their starting quarterback in Week 1. We also can't ignore the fact that his fantasy production has gone backward. He went from the overall QB1 in 2022 to QB8 in 2023, QB11 in 2024, and QB11 in his shortened 2025 campaign. He has thrown at least 11 interceptions in each of his last five seasons, and he's been held to 27 or fewer touchdowns every year since 2022, when he threw for 41. Josh Allen has taken over as the consensus QB1 in fantasy football, but players like Lamar Jackson, Drake Maye, and Joe Burrow have also become more appealing to managers than Mahomes. Of course, that could change if the Chiefs add a superstar receiver this offseason, and it also wouldn't hurt if tight end Travis Kelce bounces back following a down year.

Monday, February 2, 3:50 PM

New York Jets quarterback Justin Fields (knee) was asked to participate in the Pro Bowl games on Tuesday, a source told Ian Rapoport of the NFL Network. Fields declined and will instead focus on his offseason training. The 26-year-old signed a two-year, $40 million deal in free agency last offseason to serve as the Jets' starting QB, but that experiment failed miserably in head coach Aaron Glenn's first year at the helm. The former 11th overall pick by the Chicago Bears in 2021 out of Ohio State made nine starts in 2025 before being benched for veteran Tyrod Taylor, and he ended the year on Injured Reserve due to a knee injury. Fields cut down on turnovers, but he threw for only 1,259 yards, seven touchdowns, and one interception, and he wasn't as aggressive as a runner. He definitely won't be handed the starting job back in 2026, but it's unclear who he'll be competing with in training camp this summer. Fields' stock in dynasty/keeper leagues has taken a big hit.