The Fantasy Football Impact Of The Patrick Mahomes Knee Injury
Patrick Mahomes suffered what has been reported as a dislocated kneecap in Kansas City’s decisive 30-6 victory over Denver. An MRI will provide more clarity, but fantasy owners need to prepare for a likely absence. Hopefully you have a quality backup if you have Mahomes. Otherwise, going the streaming route should work if Mahomes misses a short period of time. If his injury happens to be of the long-term nature, it might be best to trade for someone.
Naturally, the other elements of Kansas City’s offense are also heavily impacted by the injury. Losing Mahomes will be negative for all involved. Backup Matt Moore has not started a game since 2017 when he was with Miami. Outside of 2QB leagues, Moore would not be a recommended starter. But can he keep others afloat? Let’s take a closer look at the rest of the Kansas City attack:
Travis Kelce – We saw Moore look to Kelce more than once when he needed a “move the chains” connection. You can expect that trend to continue. With tight end being such a weak position, Kelce needs to stay in your lineup. Moore should not sabotage him, but Kelce moves to being more of a mid-range TE1.
Tyreek Hill – Moore connected with Hill on a 57-yard touchdown where Hill sped past the defense. Despite that positive sign, it is possible we see more busts than booms out of Hill until Mahomes returns. Despite the consequences, because of his ability to produce a huge week out of nowhere, Hill should not be moved to your bench.
Sammy Watkins – Watkins would have to get healthy before we can truly take a deeper dive into his prospects without Mahomes. But given he has not done much of anything since opening day, do not race to get Watkins into your lineup regardless.
Demarcus Robinson – Outside of Hill and Kelce, Robinson had the largest offensive involvement in Denver. But Mahomes made players such as Robinson, Mecole Hardman, and Byron Pringle relevant. They do not need to be in your plans.
LeSean McCoy – The best running back of late for the Chiefs has been McCoy. He rushed for 64 yards in the win over Denver on 12 carries. Kansas City’s Week 8 opponent, Green Bay, tends to be more vulnerable to the run. Since McCoy is no longer the workhorse he was early in his career, he will not be vastly busier. But Shady ought to get enough work to maintain flex credibility.
Damien Williams – The biggest problem for Damien has nothing to do with Mahomes. The one-time breakout candidate averages 1.7 yards per carry. He makes some contributions as a receiver and might get some short passes from Moore. All the same, fading Damien looks to be the best course of action.
Darrel Williams – Williams’ workload has dropped dramatically in recent weeks. Until circumstances arise to where he becomes more involved, he stays on your bench.
