Brock Purdy vs Patrick Mahomes: Who Should You Start?
The gap between Brock Purdy and Patrick Mahomes is smaller than most fantasy managers think. Separated by just 0.4 PPG in 2025, this is one of those quarterback decisions that comes down to context, not name recognition. Brock Purdy averaged 20.8 PPG with the San Francisco 49ers across 9 games, and Patrick Mahomes posted 21.2 with the Kansas City Chiefs in 14.
When two quarterbacks are separated by less than two points per game, the decision shifts to weekly context. Who has the softer defense? Who is trending up over the last month? Which team is projected for more total points? Those are the tiebreakers that actually matter.
Patrick Mahomes offers meaningful rushing upside with 422 yards on the ground in 2025, which separates his floor from a pocket passer like Brock Purdy (2167 passing yards, 20 touchdowns). In games where the passing matchup looks ugly, that rushing production can be the entire difference on a start/sit call.
Brock Purdy has his bye in Week 9, and Patrick Mahomes rests in Week 6. Managers rostering both need waiver wire depth at quarterback for those two weeks, and that is exactly the kind of planning DraftCall's matchup engine surfaces automatically so you are not scrambling on a Sunday morning.
