Start Patrick Mahomes or Jared Goff? Week 1

Our Week 1 call

Start Jared Goff over Patrick Mahomes in Week 1.

Patrick Mahomes is priced by the books at 9.4 projected points and Jared Goff is not priced at all, so we are leaning on where drafters take them. Drafters take Jared Goff at ADP 102 and Patrick Mahomes at 112.

What the books imply

No sportsbook posted a player market for Jared Goff in Week 1.

Player prop markets imply 9.4 fantasy points for Patrick Mahomes, with 75 percent of the markets a QB needs posted.

Week 1 matchups

Jared Goff and DET host NO.

NO allowed 16.4 fantasy points to QBs in its one game this season, the 16th fewest in the league.

Quarterbacks threw for 206 yards and 2 touchdowns against NO, with no interceptions.

Patrick Mahomes and KC host DEN on Monday at 8:15 PM ET.

DEN allowed 22.7 fantasy points to QBs in its one game this season, the 9th most in the league.

Quarterbacks threw for 184 yards and 2 touchdowns against DEN, with an interception.

By points allowed to the position, Patrick Mahomes has the softer matchup.

Injury status

Jared Goff was not on the injury report when the call was made.

Patrick Mahomes was not on the injury report when the call was made.

Their 2025 seasons

In 2025, Jared Goff played 17 games for DET and scored 305.1 PPR points, 17.9 a game, finishing QB9.

He completed 393 of 578 passes for 4564 yards, 34 touchdowns and 8 interceptions, and ran 19 times for 45 yards and 0 touchdowns.

He was on the field for 98 percent of the offense's snaps in the games he played.

Jared Goff, Week 18 of 2025 against CHI: 27 of 42 passes for 331 yards, 1 touchdown and 1 interception, 16.2 PPR points.

Jared Goff, Week 17 of 2025 against MIN: 64 of 64 snaps, 18 of 29 passes for 197 yards, 1 touchdown and 2 interceptions, 3 carries for 2 yards, 4.1 PPR points.

Jared Goff, Week 16 of 2025 against PIT: 74 of 74 snaps, 34 of 54 passes for 364 yards, 3 touchdowns and 0 interceptions, 1 carry for -1 yards, 26.5 PPR points.

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

He completed 315 of 502 passes for 3587 yards, 22 touchdowns and 11 interceptions, and ran 64 times for 422 yards and 5 touchdowns.

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

Patrick Mahomes, Week 15 of 2025 against LAC: 56 of 61 snaps, 16 of 28 passes for 189 yards, 0 touchdowns and 1 interception, 2 carries for 15 yards, 14.1 PPR points.

How Week 1 went

Jared Goff scored 16.4 PPR points and Patrick Mahomes scored 22.7.

The call was wrong: Patrick Mahomes outscored Jared Goff by 6.2.

Jared Goff, Week 1 against NO: 77 of 77 snaps, 26 of 39 passes for 206 yards, 2 touchdowns and 0 interceptions, 2 carries for 2 yards, 16.4 PPR points.

Jared Goff finished as the week's QB17 in PPR scoring.

Patrick Mahomes finished 13.2 points above the 9.4 the props implied.

Patrick Mahomes, Week 1 against DEN: 69 of 69 snaps, 15 of 27 passes for 184 yards, 2 touchdowns and 1 interception, 7 carries for 23 yards, 22.7 PPR points.

Patrick Mahomes finished as the week's QB9 in PPR scoring.

Their other Week 1 calls

• Start Bo Nix over Jared Goff.
• Start Brock Purdy over Jared Goff.
• Start Caleb Williams over Jared Goff.
• Start Patrick Mahomes over Baker Mayfield.
• Start Bo Nix over Patrick Mahomes.
• Start Caleb Williams over Patrick Mahomes.