Patrick Mahomes II Fantasy Football Outlook (2026)

By Andrew Erickson (FantasyPros), Thu, Jan 15th 2026, 5:10pm EST

Our first report on Patrick Mahomes' return from injury came on January 15th, when he claimed that he is aiming to return for Week 1 with no restrictions. Given his mid-December surgery, Week 1 seems aggressively optimistic (less than 9 months).
That's really the main question mark regarding Mahomes - when will he return and how effective will he be? Especially with his mobility. Mahomes ran a lot more in 2025 than he has in years past, hitting career-highs across the board (QB2 in PPG). But his passing has dipped in four consecutive seasons. And the injury makes it seem very much less likely we get Mahomes running nearly as much, especially to keep him out of harm's way. Low-end QB1 territory feels right for the Chiefs QB, weighing his early-season performance with a high return in the latter portion of the 2026 season.