Gallery: 10/11
No. 2 Rollin' With Mahomies
Since Kansas City moved up in the 2017 NFL Draft, Chiefs fans have been waiting for the Patrick Mahomes era to begin. This got a jump start this off-season after the Chiefs traded away Alex Smith to clear the way for Mahomes to take over the offense. We have already seen glimpses of what he is capable of becoming. Mahomes threw a 70-yard bomb to Tyreke Hill in their preseason game against the Falcons. There is reason for optimism from a fantasy perspective as Mahomes can hurt teams with his legs, as well as his strong arm.
There will always be a place for players like Tom Brady, but quarterbacks that give you rushing yards are extremely valuable in fantasy. Mahomes seems to be in this camp, and looks like a nice sleeper candidate for where he is being selected in drafts. According to Fantasy Pros, Mahomes has an ADP of 120, and is just QB16.
There is an unknown element to how Mahomes will produce at the NFL level given he played sparingly in his rookie season. If you are willing to take a risk on Mahomes, it could pay off, and other quarterbacks will be available on the waiver wire in most leagues if he struggles in his first season as a starter. As an added bonus, Sports Feel Good Stories provided a great name to go with your team.
Mahomes should benefit from an increase in offensive weapons as the Chiefs invested in their offense over the off-season, including signing wide receiver Sammy Watkins. ESPN's Matt Bowen listed Mahomes as one of his breakout year two candidates.
"When free agency opened, the Chiefs surprisingly paid a premium price to land wide receiver Sammy Watkins," Bowen explained. "But when we look at the Kansas City offensive system under coach Andy Reid, Watkins is yet another weapon -- in an offense loaded at the skill positions -- to build around Mahomes. And the young quarterback brings the big-time arm, the ability to make off-schedule plays and the movement skills that mesh with Reid's playcalling...The Chiefs' creative system will feature the West Coast route tree, play-action, run-pass options and even some QB-designed runs for Mahomes, and he has players around him who will get open."
Let's review why Mahomes is a great sleeper candidate for you to select. Mahomes is a dual-threat quarterback that is likely to give you rushing yards in addition to his passing stats. He is playing in a fantasy-friendly offense under Andy Reid, and the Chiefs beefed up their offense to give Mahomes every opportunity to succeed this season. Mahomes is going in the 10th round in most 12-team leagues, making him one of the steals of the draft at quarterback.