Drake Maye vs Patrick Mahomes: Who Should You Start?
The gap between Drake Maye and Patrick Mahomes is smaller than most fantasy managers think. Separated by just 0.3 PPG in 2025, this is one of those quarterback decisions that comes down to context, not name recognition. Drake Maye averaged 20.7 PPG with the New England Patriots across 17 games, and Patrick Mahomes posted 20.4 with the Kansas City Chiefs in 14.
When two quarterbacks are separated by less than two points per game, the decision shifts to weekly context. Who has the softer defense? Who is trending up over the last month? Which team is projected for more total points? Those are the tiebreakers that actually matter.
Both are dual-threat quarterbacks. Drake Maye added 450 rushing yards and Patrick Mahomes chipped in 422, which gives them a higher weekly floor than traditional pocket passers when defenses take away the deep ball. That rushing production is the biggest reason their ceilings look different from drop-back QBs, and it is the stat that typically separates them on tough passing matchups.
Drake Maye has his bye in Week 14, and Patrick Mahomes rests in Week 10. Managers rostering both need waiver wire depth at quarterback for those two weeks, and that is exactly the kind of planning DraftCall's matchup engine surfaces automatically so you are not scrambling on a Sunday morning.
