If you waited on quarterback in your fantasy draft and took Patrick Mahomes late, you had to feel like a genius early in the season. Now the wheels have come off, with Mahomes having his worst fantasy performances in back-to-back games. Should we consider benching Mahomes for Week 8 against the Denver Broncos? Or should we keep Mahomes as a fantasy starter?
Year-to-Date Production
It’s hard to overstate how much of a fall-off Mahomes has had in fantasy football this season. In Week 1, he finished QB9 with 24.66 fantasy points. He followed that up by going nuclear in Week 2, racking up 31.98 points for a QB4 finish. He had respectable totals against Miami and Las Vegas in the two weeks after, finishing as QB20 and QB13. After the bye, things bottomed out: Mahomes scored 11.48 points against the Chargers in Week 6, and 7.00 points against the Seahawks in Week 7. Both performances earned him a QB23 finish.
So, we’ve gone from a locked-in QB1 to a solid starter to straight-up unplayable. Where does that leave Mahomes for Week 8?
Matchup Outlook
It’s been another strong season for the Denver Broncos defense against opposing quarterbacks. This season, they’re allowing 16.7 points per game to quarterbacks in DraftKings scoring formats, ranking 12th. After finishing in the top ten the previous two seasons, they’ve earned their reputation as a no-fly zone. It’s impressive they’ve kept it up without Pat Surtain II, who has been out since the 49ers game with an ankle injury. And it’s entirely possible they have him back this week against the Chiefs.
But one man did put up a strong fantasy day on them: Patrick Mahomes. In a 31-10 Week 1 win, Mahomes threw two touchdown passes and ran for a third. He completed only 15 of 27 passes for 184 yards and threw a pick, but touchdowns are king, and any QB with three scores is set up for a strong fantasy week. If Denver held him to a similar passing line without allowing the scores, we’d be talking about Mahomes facing this defense a lot differently.
So, is Mahomes going to have repeat success against the Broncos? Or will Denver shut him down this time around?
Fantasy Verdict
It all depends on your team here. With bye weeks and injuries across the league, quarterback options are slim, and the odds are good that Mahomes is your best option. I do think he’s capable of putting up a QB1 week in this spot, but there’s no denying that the floor is very, very low.
I’d get active on the waiver wire for a replacement here. Jacoby Brissett is available in most leagues and has a smash spot against the leaky Cowboys this week. Kyler Murray is also available and faces a Detroit defense that might set records for yards allowed. If Mahomes is your only option, I’d rather roll with a quality streamer for this week.
