X
Lost password?

Don't have an account?
Gain Access Now

X

Receive free daily analysis

NFL
NBA
NHL
NASCAR
CFB
MLB
MMA
PGA
ESPORTS
BETTING

Already have an account? Log In

X

Forgot Password


POPULAR FANTASY TOOLS

Expert Advice
Articles & Tools
Import Your Leagues
Draft Rankings
Draft Simulator
Enter League Settings
Value Picks
Compare Any Players
News and Alerts

Plug 'Em In - Fantasy QB Replacements for Patrick Mahomes

You can still get to the Fantasy playoffs with a respectable option at QB. Here are some good shorter-term solutions to replace Patrick Mahomes in Fantasy Football.

There is no firm timetable on the possible return of the best quarterback in fantasy football. Patrick Mahomes may miss three weeks with a dislocated kneecap, but there have been reports indicating he could possibly be back sooner. The best way to approach the guesswork as a fantasy owner is to prepare as if he will miss at least three weeks. If he returns sooner, consider it a bonus.

So if you lost the services of Mahomes, who can adequately fill in for him while he is out? When we say adequate, we mean adequate. You don’t have to trade for Lamar Jackson or Deshaun Watson to fill the hole. You can still get to the fantasy playoffs with a respectable option at QB.

Here are some good shorter-term solutions to replace Mahomes in fantasy football. Some can be traded for, others can be plucked off waivers in your leagues.

Be sure to check all of our fantasy football rankings for 2025:

 

Who Can Ease Your Chief QB Concern?

Kirk Cousins, Minnesotta Vikings

He is one of the hottest passers in the game right now, and you may have to part with more in a trade to get him than with some others on this list. He has revived the Minnesota passing game with three consecutive 300-yard performances and back-to-back four TD outings. His next two matchups are against two vulnerable secondaries (Kansas City and Washington).

Matthew Stafford, Detroit Lions

He has been more of a downfield thrower than expected this season (career best 12.9 yards per completion so far) and is coming off his best game of the year. He threw for 364 yards and four TDs against a very respectable Minnesota defense. His next two matchups are against the Giants (23rd ranked pass defense) and Raiders (worst in the AFC). You can possibly swing a lower-level deal to acquire him..

Josh Allen, Buffalo Bills

I do not have some sort of statistical evidence to back this up, but trust me when I tell you that I have seen many Josh Allen owners roster another quality QB along with him. The Allen owner is often in a spot to trade one of their two QBs and may be willing to part with him while keeping the other guy. Allen does not have great upside, as he has not thrown for 260 yards in a game and has only two outings with more than one TD pass. But he does run well and has three rushing TDs and always is capable of bolstering his stats with his rushing ability. His next four games are against the Eagles (27th ranked pass defense), Redskins (fifth most rushing yards allowed to QBs), Browns (seventh most rushing yards allowed to QBs) and Dolphins (most AFC fantasy points per game allowed to QBs).

Philip Rivers, Los Angeles Chargers

He has endured through some ups and downs this season and has seemingly very tough matchups with the Bears and Packers next. But the Chicago pass defense ranks 13th and Green Bay 21st, and Rivers just threw for 329 yards and two TDs vs. the Titans’ 10th ranked unit. Rivers should usually provide you with quality totals over a few games and can be a decent plug-in for Mahomes. He should be acquired via trade rather easily.

Jacoby Brissett, Indianapolis Colts

A prime overlooked free agent pickup in some leagues, Brissett is 58 percent owned. He has thrown for three TD passes in three of his past four games. He does face Denver’s third ranked pass defense this week, but after that, he does not take on a Top 15 unit in the next four games. The Colts were smart to hold on to Brissett as Andrew Luck’s previous backup. He has become a good starter and fantasy players need to stop thinking of him as a former understudy.

Sam Darnold, New York Jets

You may think this is a laughable suggestion after Darnold suffered through the worst performance of his young career on Monday. But he is not as bad as he looked, and a week earlier he looked very sharp against a usually sturdy Dallas defense. The schedule opens up for the Jets beginning this week. Jacksonville’s pass defense ranks 17th and Darnold could rebound quickly to put his nightmarish Week 7 outing behind him. After that he gets Miami, the Giants, Washington, Oakland, Cincinnati (16th) and Miami again. Darnold is still an inconsistent work in progress but he has the playmakers for the numbers to be good enough through Week 14. He is owned in 54 percent of FleaFlicker leagues and will be cut in many of them to give you an opportunity to scoop him up. Look forward with Darnold, not just to recency.

Gardner Minshew, Jacksonville Jaguars

There is not too much fantasy upside here, but Minshew has a decent floor and may be available on waivers in your league, as he is 54 percent owned on FleaFlicker. Minshew has registered at least 16 fantasy points in six of seven games this season. He gets the Jets (24th ranked pass defense) and Houston (29th) next.

Drew Brees, New Orleans Saints

He could return as soon as this week against Arizona. Many of his original 2019 owners moved on from him and replaced Brees awhile ago and have two quality starters on their roster. Some even cut him, as less experienced fantasy players sometimes do when a guy is injured. If he is not available as a free agent his current owner likely can afford to part with one of his passers in a trade. The Saints get the Cardinals (25th ranked pass defense), Atlanta (28th) and Tampa Bay (worst in the NFL) in their next three games. They do have a bye in Week 9, though, and if Brees cannot come back this week that means you need someone else to fill in for Mahomes for two weeks.

Matt Moore, Kansas City Chiefs

This is the natural and easy solution, although it’s obviously the riskiest. Grab Mahomes’ backup off waivers and start him until the superstar returns. Moore has shown glimpses of being able to hit some big plays throughout his career, as he has averaged 11.8 YPC. He and Tyreek Hill did connect for a 57-yard TD in Week 7. But matchups against an angry Vikings Defense this week and a solid Titans unit thereafter does not bode well for statistical promise in the short term.

More Fantasy Football Analysis




POPULAR FANTASY TOOLS

Expert Advice
Articles & Tools
Import Your Leagues
Draft Rankings
Draft Simulator
Enter League Settings
Value Picks
Compare Any Players
News and Alerts

REAL-TIME FANTASY NEWS

Quentin Johnston

Scores Twice in Brazil
Justin Herbert

Spectacular in Win Over Chiefs
Marquise Brown

Sees Absurd Target Share Friday
Bobby Witt Jr.

Exits Early on Friday
Xavier Worthy

Injures Shoulder Early in Brazil, Questionable to Return
Adolis García

Adolis Garcia Placed on Injured List With Quad Strain
Tyler Glasnow

Scratched on Friday With Back Tightness
Jayden Reed

Questionable to Play in Season Opener
Christian McCaffrey

Listed as Questionable for Season Opener With Calf Issue
Tyreek Hill

Cleared for Week 1
Rasmus Hojgaard

Finishes Tied For Second at Omega European Masters
Tyrrell Hatton

Finishes Tied for 32nd at LIV Indianapolis
Matt Fitzpatrick

Finishes Fifth at Omega European Masters
Patrick Cantlay

Finishes Tied For Second in 2025 FedEx Cup Standings
Xander Schauffele

Finishes 42nd in 2025 FedEx Cup Standings
Tyler Glasnow

Scratched From Friday's Start for Undisclosed Reasons
Christian Kirk

Ruled Out for Week 1
Shohei Ohtani

Returning to the Mound on Friday
Kyle Finnegan

Lands on Injured List With Adductor Strain
Aaron Judge

Returns to Right Field on Friday
De'Von Achane

Without Injury Designation Heading Into Week 1
Christian McCaffrey

Seen Working on Side Field During Friday's Practice
Malik Nabers

Cleared to Play on Sunday
Willson Contreras

' Suspension Reduced, to Start Serving it on Friday
Kodai Senga

Mets Send Kodai Senga to Triple-A to Get Right
Chris Godwin

Officially Ruled Out for Week 1
Malik Nabers

' Reps Limited Friday Due to "Tight" Back
Caio Borralho

Set For A Title Eliminator Bout
Nassourdine Imavov

Looks To Earn A Title Shot
Mauricio Ruffy

Looks To Extend His Win Streak
Benoît Saint Denis

Benoit Saint Denis Set For UFC Paris Co-Main Event
Modestas Bukauskas

Looks To Extend His Win Streak
Paul Craig

In Dire Need Of Victory
Mason Jones

Set for Main-Card Bout
Bolaji Oki

Looks To Win Back-To-Back Fights
Rhys McKee

Set To Open Up UFC Paris Main Card
Axel Sola

Set To Make His UFC Debut
Saquon Barkley

Scores Touchdown in Low-Yardage Outing
Jalen Hurts

Rushes for Two Touchdowns on Thursday
Javonte Williams

Salvages Inefficient Outing With Two Touchdowns
CeeDee Lamb

110-Yard Game Marred by Four Drops
Will Shipley

Questionable to Return on Thursday Night
Pablo López

Pablo Lopez Expected to Return on Friday
Micah Parsons

Expected to Play in Week 1
Jazz Chisholm Jr.

Exits With Knee Contusions
Christian McCaffrey

Listed as Limited With Calf Injury
Justin Jefferson

Not on Week 1 Injury Report
Will Smith

Unlikely to Play This Weekend
Shohei Ohtani

to Pitch on Monday
Jon Rahm

Looks to Prove His Importance on European Ryder Cup Team
Tommy Fleetwood

Among Leaders of European Ryder Cup Team
Brandon Sproat

to Start for Mets on Sunday
Alperen Sengün

Alperen Sengun Close to Triple-Double Versus Serbia
Nikola Jokić

Nikola Jokic Fills Box Score Against Turkey
Nikola Jović

Nikola Jovic Shakes Off Minor Injury
E.J. Liddell

Inks Two-Way Deal With Nets
NBA

Ben Simmons Reportedly Considering Retirement
P.J. Washington

Agrees to Four-Year, $90 Million Extension
Mike Trout

Plans to Return on Thursday
Will Smith

X-Rays Negative on Will Smith's Hand
Will Smith

Exits With Hand Contusion
Jackson Chourio

in Lineup Wednesday Despite Hamstring Cramps
Sepp Straka

Gets Captain's Pick to Join Team Europe
Christian Yelich

Dealing With Soreness in Lower Back
PGA

Victor Hovland to Make Third Ryder Cup Appearance for Team Europe
J.J. Spaun

Set to Represent Team USA for First Time at Bethpage
Russell Henley

Makes First Ryder Cup Appearance at Bethpage
Harris English

Named to Ryder Cup Team for Second Time
Kyle Finnegan

Dealing With Groin Issue
Shohei Ohtani

Will Pitch "Sometime This Weekend"
Justin Thomas

Making Fourth Ryder Cup Team Appearance at Bethpage
Ben Griffin

Making First Career Ryder Cup Appearance at Bethpage
Bryson DeChambeau

Set to be Part of Team USA at Bethpage
Santi Aldama

Bags Double-Double in Losing Effort
Guerschon Yabusele

Erupts for 36 Points Against Poland
Luka Dončić

Luka Doncic Leads Slovenia Into Next Round at EuroBasket
San Antonio Spurs

Stanley Umude Signs Training Camp Deal With Spurs
Reece Beekman

Joins Magic for Training Camp
Justin Minaya

Signs Exhibit 10 Deal With Magic
Alexandre Sarr

to Miss Rest of EuroBasket
Jared McCain

"On Pace" for Training Camp
Luke Hughes

Devils Optimistic About Signing Luke Hughes
Martin Fehérváry

Martin Fehervary on Track to Be Ready for Training Camp
Dylan Holloway

Good to Go for Start of Season
Josh Morrissey

Fully Healthy for Start of Season
Dennis Hildeby

Signs Three-Year Extension With Maple Leafs
Franz Wagner

Collects Double-Double in Blowout Win
Alperen Sengün

Alperen Sengun Achieves Rare Numbers at EuroBasket
Nikola Vučević

Nikola Vucevic Dominates Against Sweden
Kristaps Porzingis

Finding Form at EuroBasket
Nikola Jović

Nikola Jovic Suffers Minor Injury at EuroBasket
Victor Wembanyama

Looking "Quite Stellar"
Denny Hamlin

Ends Eventful Day at Darlington in Seventh Place
NASCAR

Bubba Wallace Almost Earns a Top-Five Finish at Darlington
John Hunter Nemechek

has His Best 2025 Performance at Darlington
Ryan Blaney

Has An Underwhelming Performance At Darlington
Josh Berry

Crashes Early and Suffers A Playoff Setback at Darlington
Giannis Antetokounmpo

"Staying in Milwaukee"
Chase Elliott

Under Playoff Pressure After 17th-Place Darlington Finish
Kyle Larson

Despite Hendrick Mediocrity, Kyle Larson Remains Pretty Safe in Playoffs
Alex Bowman

Opening-Lap Crash and Botched Pit Stop May Have Sunk Alex Bowman's Playoff Hopes
Erik Jones

Darlington Master Erik Jones Comes Up Short but Still Finishes Third
AJ Allmendinger

A.J. Allmendinger Impresses at Southern 500
Daniel Suarez

is A DFS Risk for Darlington Lineups?
Noah Gragson

Should Fantasy Managers Roster Noah Gragson for Darlington?
Ty Dillon

is an Excellent Punt Option for Darlington DFS Lineups

RANKINGS

QB
RB
WR
TE
K
DEF
RANKINGS
C
1B
2B
3B
SS
OF
SP
RP