Patrick Mahomes vs Tyler Shough: Who Should You Start?
There is a real production gap between these two quarterbacks. Patrick Mahomes (Kansas City Chiefs) averaged 21.2 PPG over 14 games in 2025, outscoring Tyler Shough (New Orleans Saints, 14.9 PPG) by 6.3 points per week. That separation would need a significant matchup swing to overcome.
Patrick Mahomes carries a 6.3-point PPG advantage from the 2025 season. That baseline matters, but it is one input among several. Matchup difficulty, scoring trends, and injury reports move the needle week to week, which is why the best answer changes depending on when you are asking.
Patrick Mahomes offers meaningful rushing upside with 422 yards on the ground in 2025, which separates his floor from a pocket passer like Tyler Shough (2384 passing yards, 10 touchdowns). In games where the passing matchup looks ugly, that rushing production can be the entire difference on a start/sit call.
One scheduling note: Patrick Mahomes is off Week 6 and Tyler Shough Week 12. If these two are on your roster, you will need a fill-in quarterback for both weeks. DraftCall flags bye conflicts so you can plan ahead rather than panic on waivers.
