Patrick Mahomes has been an early fantasy football selection seemingly every year since his breakout during his first season as a starter in 2018.
However, entering the 2026 fantasy football season, there isn't as much buzz as usual surrounding the veteran quarterback.
The reason for this is simple. For the first time in his career, Mahomes is coming off a significant, season-ending injury. He suffered a torn ACL and LCL in his left knee during Week 15 of the 2025 NFL season, and his status for Week 1 of the 2026 campaign was in flux for much of the offseason.
It's looking likely that Mahomes will be on the field to open the 2026 NFL season. Still, many fantasy managers are balking at the idea of selecting the 30-year-old in their fantasy drafts,
due to a litany of concerns from his injury to his recent performance and his supporting cast.
Should you target Mahomes in your fantasy football drafts? Here's a full breakdown of his fantasy potential for the 2026 season.
Should you draft Patrick Mahomes in fantasy?
Drafting Mahomes in fantasy football isn't necessarily a bad move, but he looks more like a QB2 in fantasy football for the 2026 season.
As mentioned, Mahomes is coming off a significant knee injury. While he did well to rehab it and position himself to return in Week 1, he made need time to shake off the rust and get used to the new normal with his surgically repaired knee.
That could lead the Chiefs to baby Mahomes – at least as much as the veteran quarterback lets them – and lean more on their running game early in the season. Kansas City signed running back Kenneth Walker III to a lucrative, three-year deal in free agency to serve as a workhorse back for the team, so they could lean on the Super Bowl 60 MVP early in the season to make life easy on Mahomes.
Such an arrangement could cap Mahomes' ceiling, which has already been lowered in recent seasons. Over the last three seasons, he has averaged 3,899 passing yards for 25 passing touchdowns and 12 interceptions. Those numbers are fine, and he has finished as a top-12 fantasy quarterback in each of those seasons, but its a far cry from his perennial, top-five finishes across his first five NFL seasons.
Could Mahomes eventually re-emerge as a top-five fantasy quarterback? Sure, he still has the talent to accomplish that. But given the state of his receiving corps – which is highlighted by the unreliable Rashee Rice and 36-year-old tight end Travis Kelce – and his injury, it's hard to imagine that happening this season.
Verdict: You can still feel free to take a mid-to-late-round flier, around the QB12 to QB15 range, on Mahomes if you believe in his potential. Just make sure you have another quality fantasy quarterback – be it an early-round talent like Josh Allen or a mid-round value pick like Dak Prescott or Jared Goff – on your roster if you pursue him.
This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: Should you draft Patrick Mahomes in fantasy? Injury update, outlook for Chiefs QB
