The Chiefs and Eagles are set for what should be an epic clash this Sunday in Super Bowl LIX. At the heart of the matchup is a showdown between two great quarterbacks as Patrick Mahomes ($10,000 in FLEX) looks to win his third straight Super Bowl by defeating Jalen Hurts ($10,400) and the Eagles. Both quarterbacks are potentially high-scoring as the maestros of their respective offenses, but which one should you build around for DFS fantasy footballcontests on DraftKings? Let’s take a look.
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Paterick Mahomes’ mastery
The Chiefs’offense hasn’t been as unstoppable as it has in past seasons, but Mahomes consistently finds ways to get the team just enough points to keep winning almost every week. He avenged his only regular-season loss by taking down the Bills in the AFC Championship game, and is looking to become the first QB to win three straight Super Bowls in NFL history.
Mahomes won Super Bowl MVP in each of his three previous victories on the biggest stage and even had a decent game in his one loss to the Bucs, when his offensive line let him down.
In his three Super Bowl wins, he has thrown seven touchdowns and run for another score. He has averaged 267.8 passing yards and 43.0 rushing yards in his four Super Bowl appearances, and he has shown a willingness to run more in big games and big situations.
He ran for two scores last week against the Bills and finished with 31.1 fantasy points while leading his team to a 32-29 victory. He has over 23 fantasy points in three of his last four games and averaged 19.3 fantasy points in his 18 regular and postseason appearances this year.
Jalen Hurts Higher Upside
Although Mahomes has undeniable upside and an impressive track record, Jalen Hurts has been even better for fantasy this season. He has averaged 22.0 fantasy points per game in 18 games and is coming off a huge game in the NFC Championship against the Commanders. Hurts had three rushing touchdowns and ran for 16 yards while racking up 246 passing yards as well with another touchdown.
Not counting from the game he left with a concussion in Week 16, Hurts produced over 24 fantasy points in three of his last five games. During the playoff run, Hurts posted 16.8 fantasy points against the Packers, 18.1 fantasy points in the snow against the Rams and then last week’s huge game that resulted in 33.44 fantasy points against Washington.
Hurts showed well in his previous Super Bowl appearance as well, throwing for 304 yards and a touchdown while also running for 70 yards and three touchdowns.
His rushing production, specifically his rushing touchdowns give him a higher upside than Mahomes. This regular season and postseason, Hurts racked up 18 rushing scores, and he looked virtually unstoppable on the “Brotherly Shove” play that has become almost automatic from short-yardage situations.
How to play the QBs
Both quarterbacks are great plays this week. Of the two, Hurts has a higher ceiling and is almost a “must-start” given his rushing production. You can build around both QBs in a showdown lineup, but you’ll have to manage your salary cap very carefully. Don’t worry! I covered my top sleepers for DFS contests on Friday to help you balance out your salary cap spending.
Of the two QBs, Hurts is the stronger play also because if he’s rushing for the touchdowns, no one else on the Eagles is getting points. If Mahomes is throwing them for the Chiefs, not only is he getting fewer points per score, but you can also try to capture them by playing the top Chiefs’ pass-catchers.
While Mahomes is obviously a proven playoff performer with a high ceiling, I actually think for this game, it makes more sense to build around Hurts and pass on Patrick for DFS contests
