Jalen Hurts vs Patrick Mahomes: Who Should You Start?
Jalen Hurts and Patrick Mahomes are both viable fantasy quarterbacks heading into 2026, but their 2025 production tells two different stories. Jalen Hurts averaged 19.1 PPG across 16 games with the Philadelphia Eagles, while Patrick Mahomes posted 21.2 PPG in 14 appearances for the Kansas City Chiefs.
A 2.1-PPG gap gives Patrick Mahomes the edge on paper, but paper does not account for Thursday night matchups, weather games, or a star defender returning from injury. The real question is not who was better in 2025, but who is the better start this specific week.
Both are dual-threat quarterbacks. Jalen Hurts added 421 rushing yards and Patrick Mahomes chipped in 422, which gives them a higher weekly floor than traditional pocket passers when defenses take away the deep ball. That rushing production is the biggest reason their ceilings look different from drop-back QBs, and it is the stat that typically separates them on tough passing matchups.
Bye weeks matter for roster construction: Jalen Hurts sits Week 5 while Patrick Mahomes is off Week 6. If you are deciding between the two as a season-long roster hold, the staggered byes actually work in your favor.
