Should I Draft Patrick Mahomes or Jalen Hurts in Fantasy Football This Year?

Kansas City Chiefs QB Patrick Mahomes is the reigning Super Bowl-winning quarterback and a multi-time MVP. But when it comes to fantasy lineups, is it better to have the Philadelphia Eagles‘ Jalen Hurts as your signal-caller?

Let’s check out the fantasy outlook for each superstar.

2024 Fantasy Outlook for Patrick Mahomes

Mahomes is the No. 3 quarterback in Pro Football Network’s consensus fantasy football rankings.

You know you’ve had a pretty good career when you throw for 4,100 yards and you’ve had a down season. Such was the case for Mahomes in 2023, as his 4,183 passing yards were over 1,000 fewer yards than he had in 2022.

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But there were other numbers that weren’t up to Mahomes’ usual standards. His 27 touchdown passes were 14 fewer than in 2022 and the second-fewest of his career as a starter. His completion percentage (67.2%) was a career-high, but his yards per pass attempt (7.0) was a career-low.

So, what is in store for Mahomes in 2024? The receiving core should be better, with the additions of Hollywood Brown and rookie Xavier Worthy, along with an emerging talent in Rashee Rice, and Travis Kelce is still in the elite tight end category.

2024 Fantasy Outlook for Jalen Hurts

Hurts is the QB2 on PFN’s consensus rankings. He continues to be among the best, if not the best, dual-threat quarterbacks in the NFL. Last season, Hurts had career-highs in passing yards (3,858) and touchdown passes (23).

And even though his rushing yards in 2023 (605) were down considerably from 2022 (760 yards), Hurts’ 15 rushing touchdowns were a career-high and tied with the Buffalo Bills’ Josh Allen for the most among quarterbacks.

In terms of fantasy production among quarterbacks, Hurts finished with the second-most fantasy points per game (21.0) and the second-most total fantasy points (356.8). His production was behind only Allen among quarterbacks.

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Like Mahomes, Hurts is the benefactor of his offense upgrading this offseason.

Philadelphia added former New York Giants star running back Saquon Barkley in free agency and traded for former Commanders wide receiver Jahan Dotson during this training camp.

However, a question could be raised about how much Barkley’s presence will impact Hurts’ running ability. A big reason why Hurts is arguably the top quarterback in fantasy is his combination of running and passing skills.

If Barkley is healthy for an entire season, he figures to take away some of those opportunities from Hurts.

Who Should I Draft in 2024?

If you look at just the names, it would seem to be a tough decision between Mahomes or Hurts as your fantasy quarterback. However, I’m of the belief that Mahomes’ best days are behind him, while Hurts still has elite seasons left in fantasy.

This doesn’t mean Mahomes is a bad choice for fantasy managers at quarterback. After all, 4,000 passing yards is still 4,000 passing yards.

But I don’t think having Barkley in the backfield will impact Hurts’ overall fantasy numbers. While his rushing numbers may take a hit, I think Hurts continues to improve as a passer.

My choice among the two would be Hurts.