Patrick Mahomes ( Getty Images)
Yet as the 2026 NFL season approaches, ESPN has raised an unexpected question about his fantasy value. 15 fantasy ranking for Mahomes is not as shocking as it sounds. “I have him a little bit higher in my fantasy rankings, but that number 15 ranking overall is not that crazy of a thought, and there’s a very specific reason. In 14 games during 2025, he threw for 3,587 yards with 22 touchdowns and 11 interceptions. He also rushed for 422 yards and five touchdowns, helping him average 22.7 fantasy points per game. Patrick Mahomes will not be running nearly as much in 2026 as he did last season,” Yates added on Get Up, ESPN. That could make his 2026 fantasy ranking more unpredictable, but it does not make him any less important to the Chiefs’ championship hopes.
“To be very clear, nobody is saying Patrick Mahomes is anywhere close to the 15th-best quarterback in the NFL,” Yates said on ESPN. But so far, he has checked every box,” Graziano said. Patrick Mahomes rarely finds himself outside the top tier of quarterback conversations. The issue is not a sudden loss of talent. It is what Mahomes may choose to do with his legs after a serious knee injury. That one change could have a major impact on how fantasy managers view the Kansas City Chiefs star. NFL insider Field Yates recently explained why a No. He’s now coming off of a major knee injury. NFL insider Dan Graziano described seeing Mahomes test his movement during training camp, including throws while moving in both directions. “Mahomes seems ready for it. When I was there, Greeny (Mike Greenberg), he was testing the thing out, trying to see if he could move around, throw, you know, move around to his left and throw, move around to his right and throw, try and see if he has all the strength back in that.
“Greeny (Mike Greenberg), you may recall that last year Patrick Mahomes was running for his life. As a matter of fact, he scored the fourth most fantasy points per game of any quarterback last year just using his legs.