Commanders vs. Chiefs DFS Quarterback Debate: Marcus Mariota vs. Patrick Mahomes

Patrick Mahomes looks to dominate another primetime slate, while Marcus Mariota hopes to deliver unexpected DFS value in Monday night’s Chiefs vs. Commanders showdown.

Kansas City Chiefs quarterback Patrick Mahomes (15) throws a pass during the first half against the Las Vegas Raiders at GEHA Field at Arrowhead Stadium. | Jay Biggerstaff-Imagn Images

Over the past month or so, DraftKings' primetime showdowns have had a single winner multiple times, resulting in payouts of $250,000, $500,000, and $1,000,000. A late touchdown by Roman Wilson (4/74/1) pushed CKK-244AYK to the lid last night in the Packers/Steelers showdown. Pittsburgh’s young wideout was only rostered by 1.7% of 78,431 entries.

DraftKings

Tucker Kraft (7/143/2 – 36.30 fantasy points) was the star of the game, while Jordan Love (360/3 with a two-point conversion – 31.30) posted his best game of the season. The return of Christian Watson (4/85) gave the Packers that one additional receiving threat to challenge the Steelers’ defense. Chris Boswell made the winning ticket by bombing four long kicks through the uprights (56, 50, 48, and 56 yards). 

The second-best roster (repeated twice) fell 0.37 fantasy points away from winning. His combination of Jaylen Warren/DK Metcalf (25.80) was a tick below Aaron Rodgers/Rome Doubs (26.16). The runner prize in this showdown was $57,500. There were also single rosters that finished fourth ($25,000) and fifth ($15,000).

On Monday night, the Chiefs and Commanders match up for an intriguing showdown slate. Hollywood Brown (4/45/2) bumped Patrick Mahomes (289 combined yards and four touchdowns) off the captain spot in Week 6 against the Lions. The previous week, Mahomes (378 combined yards with two touchdowns) was the winning captain's play in a road loss on Monday night to the Jaguars.

Washington will play without Jayden Daniels for the third time this season, but their offense regains its top two wideouts – Terry McLaurin and Deebo Samuel. 

Week 8 MNF Fantasy Football Quarterback Projections

Shawn Childs

Patrick Mahomes, Kansas City Chiefs (DK: $11,000)

Over his last four starts, Mahomes has been incredibly consistent, leading to a high floor in fantasy points in each matchup (30.00, 30.90, 34.05, and 29.10 – four-point passing touchdowns formats). He’s averaged 314 combined yards and 3.25 touchdowns over this span while playing three contests without Rashee Rice. Last week, Kansas City could have posted 50 points against the Raiders, but the Chiefs pumped their offensive brakes in the second half in a 31-0 win over the Raiders. Mahomes focused on getting Rice rolling (7/42/2 on 10 targets), but he worked close to the line of scrimmage.

Shawn Childs

The Commanders rank 26th in fantasy points (157.30) allowed to quarterbacks over seven games. They’ve allowed 8.3 yards per pass attempt, with four quarterbacks succeeding.

• Jordan Love (304 combined yards with two touchdowns)
• Geno Smith (289/3)
• Michael Penix (313/2)
• Dak Prescott (264/3)

The outcome that stands out is Geno Smith’s game. He beat Washington over the top with Tre Tucker (6/145/3), which may be a sign of Xavier Worthy finally posting a winning day.

Mahomes has a high floor, and not many players in this game should beat him in fantasy points. He tends to spread the ball around, but Kansas City now has three elite receiving options to pass the ball. Does this improved structure open up more running lanes for the Chiefs’ backs? Mahomes is the top projected quarterback in Week 8.

Marcus Mariota, Washington Commanders (DK: $9,200)

Washington Commanders quarterback Marcus Mariota (8) throws during the second half against the Atlanta Falcons at Mercedes-Benz Stadium. | Brett Davis-Imagn Images

In his first two starts this season, Mariota only had 31 combined completions, 363 passing yards, and 60 rushing yards, but produced two touchdowns in each matchup (LV and @ATL). His skill set overlaps with Jayden Daniels as far as run/pass balance, but he has only made 13 other starts (5-8) since 2019. Since arriving in Washington in 2024, Mariota completed 67.6% of his 102 passes for 790 yards and seven touchdowns (6.9 yards per pass attempt) while adding 28 rushes for 186 yards and two more scores. 

Shawn Childs

The Chiefs rank fifth in quarterback defense (110.05 fantasy points), with all four of the teams ahead of them in the standings playing one fewer game. They allow 6.6 yards per pass attempt, with minimal damage by running quarterbacks (42/187/0 – 4.5 yards per carry).

• Justin Herbert (350 combined yards with three touchdowns)
• Trevor Lawrence (275 combined yards with three touchdowns)

Kansas City contained Jalen Hurts (101/0 with nine rushes for 15 yards and one score), Lamar Jackson (196 combined yards with one touchdown – left the game with an injury), and Jared Goff (203/2).

Mariota is viable in the DFS market if his salary is low enough. Unfortunately, the showdown pricing puts him at a disadvantage in a tough matchup. He hasn’t attempted over 34 passes in a game since September 19, 2019. I can’t dismiss him from hitting the ticket, but Mariota has a minimal chance at being the best fantasy player in this game.