Patrick Mahomes is a top MVP candidate this year, and he’s also got an all-time fantasy football record in sight.
Patrick Mahomes was tabbed as a breakout candidate this year, and he’s delivered that as an MVP candidate in his first full season as a starter. He’s also of course been a stud for his fantasy football owners, as the highest-scoring player in ESPN leagues.
With “only” two touchdown passes Thursday night against the Los Angeles Chargers, to put him at 45 for the season, Mahomes fell off the pace as he chases Peyton Manning’s single-season record of 55. But he has a chance to surpass another of Manning’s records from that 2013 campaign.
Mahomes failed to reach 20 fantasy points (ESPN scoring) for just the second time all season Thursday night, and that 18 points in his second-lowest total of the season. But he now sits at 371.5 points with two games to go, and Manning’s fantasy points record for is within reach.
Week 16 brings a tough matchup for Mahomes though. The Seattle Seahawks have allowed 15.9 fantasy points per game to quarterbacks this season (ESPN scoring; tied for seventh-fewest in the league). But prior to shutting down Kirk Cousins in Week 14 they had allowed multiple passing touchdowns in six straight games, with over 300 yards allowed through the air four times in that span. From Week 10 to Week 13, Jared Goff, Aaron Rodgers, Cam Newton and Nick Mullens all posted at least 21 fantasy points.
If Week 17 still matters to the Chiefs, and it very well might, Mahomes would play against the Oakland Raiders. The Raiders have allowed the sixth-most fantasy points to quarterbacks so far this season (20 per game), with multiple passing touchdowns allowed in 11 of 13 games. In Week 13 against them, Mahomes threw for 295 passing yards with four touchdowns while adding 52 rushing yards. That was good for 33 fantasy points, his second-best total of the season.
Mahomes is an easy candidate for MVP this year, in real and fantasy terms. Barring injury or sitting out Week 17, he’s going to set the all-time record for fantasy points by a fair margin.