Should I start Patrick Mahomes or Malik Willis in Week 8?

The market-based projections

Patrick Mahomes's market-based projection is 16.3 PPR points a game, built from 5 markets across 13 market sources. That is the 28th highest figure of the 207 players with a market-based projection.

Malik Willis's market-based projection is 15.6 PPR points a game, built from 5 markets across 13 market sources. That is the 37th highest figure of the 207 players with a market-based projection.

Where the draft room stands

Live drafts hold no current pick on Patrick Mahomes, and the board ranks him 103rd overall on the rest of his evidence.

Live drafts hold no current pick on Malik Willis, and the board ranks him 116th overall on the rest of his evidence.

In 2QB drafts he goes at ADP 38.

This season through Week 7

Through Week 7, Patrick Mahomes has been on the field for 100 percent of KC snaps, dropped back 210 times and thrown 6.0 air yards an attempt.

He has been sacked or hit on 31 of 210 dropbacks and scrambled 12 times.

In Week 4 against LV he completed 15 of 30 passes for 225 yards, threw 2 touchdowns and 0 interceptions and ran 1 time for 1 yards.

In Week 6 against LAC he completed 23 of 30 passes for 272 yards, threw 0 touchdowns and 1 interception and ran 3 times for 19 yards.

In Week 7 against SEA he completed 19 of 33 passes for 165 yards, threw 0 touchdowns and 1 interception and ran 2 times for 14 yards.

Through Week 7, Malik Willis has been on the field for 100 percent of MIA snaps, dropped back 188 times and thrown 9.7 air yards an attempt.

He has been sacked or hit on 26 of 188 dropbacks and scrambled 22 times.

In Week 4 against MIN he completed 9 of 17 passes for 85 yards, threw 0 touchdowns and 0 interceptions and ran 2 times for 11 yards.

In Week 5 against CIN he completed 15 of 26 passes for 137 yards, threw 1 touchdown and 2 interceptions and ran 8 times for 74 yards.

In Week 7 against NYJ he completed 14 of 21 passes for 208 yards, threw 2 touchdowns and 0 interceptions and ran 6 times for 39 yards.

Their 2025 seasons

In 2025 Patrick Mahomes played 14 games and scored 296.7 PPR points, 21.2 a game, finishing QB11.

He threw for 3587 yards on 502 attempts with 22 touchdowns and 11 interceptions, and ran for 422 yards and 5 touchdowns.

That came to 35.9 attempts a game at 7.1 yards an attempt.

He was on the field for 97 percent of the snaps in the games he played.

In 2025 Malik Willis played 4 games and scored 51.2 PPR points, 12.8 a game, finishing QB45.

He threw for 422 yards on 35 attempts with 3 touchdowns and 0 interceptions, and ran for 123 yards and 2 touchdowns.

That came to 8.8 attempts a game at 12.1 yards an attempt.

He was on the field for 10 percent of the snaps in the games he played.

Patrick Mahomes was available for 10 games more.

Head to head

In 2025 Patrick Mahomes scored 21.2 PPR points a game and Malik Willis 12.8, 8.4 a game between them.

Patrick Mahomes finished QB11 that year and Malik Willis QB45.

Patrick Mahomes had 467 more pass attempts than Malik Willis, 502 to 35.

Patrick Mahomes had 3165 more passing yards than Malik Willis, 3587 to 422.

Their snap share this season is the same, 100 percent each.

Their target share this season is the same, 0 percent each.

Byes and availability

Patrick Mahomes is off in Week 5 and Malik Willis in Week 6, so either can cover the other's bye.

What would change the answer

0.7 points a game is the entire case. The market restates it every week, and a line that moves moves the order with it.

The draft market is the half that is missing: when live drafts hold these two again they can order them differently from the projection, and this page will follow the drafts rather than the market-based projection when they do.