Should I Drop Patrick Mahomes? Fantasy Football Outlook for Week 9 (2024)

Patrick Mahomes heads into Week 9 with some uncharacteristic bumps in his fantasy resume this season. Normally, he’s as close to a lock as you get at quarterback, but there have been some big shifts in the Chiefs’ offense this year and they've morphed into more of a defensive team.

First off, they’ve lost key weapons--running back Isiah Pacheco and receivers Marquise Brown and Rashee Rice, leaving Mahomes to work with a much more limited arsenal. And while Travis Kelce is one of the all-time greats, Father Time is starting to slow him down just a bit.

Should fantasy managers drop Mahomes ahead of Week 9? Let's dive in and find out the best strategy moving forward!

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Should I Drop Patrick Mahomes in Fantasy Football?

Mahomes’ stats tell the story: he’s completed 154 of 225 passes (68.4%) for 1,651 yards, with 8 touchdowns but also a league-high 9 interceptions. It’s not the typical Mahomes stat line we’re used to, and it’s shown in some underwhelming fantasy weeks.

But here’s the twist, the Chiefs are still 7-0, thanks to a defense that’s holding the line and keeping them in games.

30,000 more reasons to love @PatrickMahomes. Congratulations, QB1! pic.twitter.com/zRHQWybNUZ

— Kansas City Chiefs (@Chiefs) October 27, 2024

Mahomes may not be putting up his usual fantasy fireworks, but he’s still got that playmaking ability to flip a game on its head. Expect more consistency once his supporting cast settles, but for now, he’s still a low-end QB1, riding on the Chiefs' defensive dominance to keep him relevant in fantasy.

Who Should I Pickup in Week 9 Fantasy Football?

You can't drop Mahomes in fantasy, you just can't. But if you want to make other plans in the meantime until the offense cranks the volume back up, that's more than fair.

Here's a crazy stat while I prep for our podcast and MNF preview.

Daniel Jones has the league's second-worst DVOA on passes up the middle. Can you guess who is last?

hold on

we'll get to it

give it a second

Patrick Mahomes (?!?!?!)

— Aaron Schatz 🏈 (@ASchatzNFL) October 28, 2024

If you’re thinking about kicking the tires on Justin Herbert (41% rostered), Bo Nix (31% rostered), or even Jameis Winston (5% rostered) while we wait to see how things shake out, that’s a solid strategy.

There’s definitely some frustration brewing with Mahomes in the fantasy world, but we all know how electric he can be at his best. My advice? Keep him on your roster for now and see if this situation starts turning in your favor.

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