A Mahomes Card Lifts Brendan Darr to Second in the SCN Challenge

When the SCN Challenge posted its Week 6 values on Oct. 20, Brendan Darr's 2025 Topps Chrome Patrick Mahomes Blue Wave /150 in a PSA 10 jumped from $150 to $369 in league value.

In our Week 5 recap, I said Darr had the right player on the wrong card. Mahomes's other cards climbed this week too, with the league moving Gary LeMaster's 2017 Donruss The Elite Series Mahomes rookie in a PSA 9 from $300 to $375.

Darr's 2020 Optic Joe Burrow Blue Hyper in a PSA 10 rose from $148 to $233 as well. Those two cards carried Darr from seventh to second at 32.4 percent.

Alex Llanso still leads the SCN Challenge after Week 6

Every manager is in the green for the first time this season. Jesse Gibson climbed out of the red at 0.6 percent after his 2023 Prizm C.J. Stroud Silver in a PSA 10 went from $315 to $350.

Doug Plagens moved up a spot, with the league valuing his 2022 Donruss Brock Purdy Press Proof Premium in a PSA 10 at $188.

Josh Allen is carrying the leader

Llanso's biggest card is a 2018 Prizm Josh Allen Red White & Blue rookie in a PSA 9. The league valued it at $525 after Week 5 and $574 after Week 6. His 2022 Optic Brock Purdy Red Stars in a PSA 9 went from $185 to $245 over the same week.

Llanso picked up both cards in Week 5 trades the league posted on Oct. 21. He traded his 2025 Topps Chrome Tyler Shough Leather Gold in a PSA 10 for the Allen and his 2023 Select Bo Nix in a PSA 9 for the Purdy, at even league values. His third trade brought in a 2025 Cosmic Chrome Caleb Williams White Hole in a PSA 9 for a 2016 Optic Jared Goff Holo in a PSA 10. The league held the Caleb at $140 in Week 6.

Allen is the most-owned player in the league, with five managers holding one of his cards. Every one of those cards gained value this week. Gordy Bonker owns Allen and Matthew Stafford. Asked on the show which would grow more this year, he said, "Not even close. Josh Allen."

Jason Otero expects to sell his Allen before the playoffs. On the Oct. 21 episode of the SCN Challenge Show, he recalled Mahomes's cards dropping two weeks after a Super Bowl win a few years ago. "I'll probably move out of that card going into the playoffs," he said.

Allen's 2018 Prizm rookie in a PSA 10 is on our football Top 10. Our five includes the same card in a PSA 9.

Jason Otero bought his Manning because of Michael Jordan

Otero is third at 20.8 percent, led by his 1998 Metal Universe Peyton Manning rookie in a PSA 9. The league valued it at $252 in Week 6, up 260 percent since the draft.

Otero bought the Manning after watching Michael Jordan's Metal Universe cards sell for $600 to $800 this summer. "It was sitting at like a $100 card at the time. It's a no-brainer to me," he said on the show.

The Rams' 2-4 start hasn't moved him off his 2009 Topps Finest Matthew Stafford rookie in a PSA 10. The league valued it at $375 on draft day and $321 in Week 6. "I'm going to be wrong, but I'm going to be the right kind of wrong," Otero said. "I think it is the slowest loser for a big chunk of my portfolio."

Trent Litjes slid from second to fifth

The league restored Trent's 2023 Prizm Bijan Robinson Silver auto in a PSA 9 to $242 for Week 5, after cutting it to $177 in the version I reported last week. That put Trent second after Week 5, not third. The Bijan fell to $183 in Week 6. His 2024 Topps Chrome Caleb Williams X-Fractor in a PSA 10 dropped from $310 to $269.

His 2025 Prizm Tyler Shough Silver auto in a PSA 9 slipped from $253 to $234. Gordy picked on that card on the Oct. 14 episode of the SCN Challenge Show. "He's up 60% on a guy that nobody knew the name of before the season started," Gordy said. His advice for anyone sitting on a gain: "When you win, you don't actually win until you sell the card."

Otero holds a 2025 Topps Chrome Shough rookie in a PSA 10 and pushed back on Gordy this week. "I think Gordy might be asking the wrong question, respectfully," he said. Otero expects quick-flip buyers to keep chasing Shough while the Saints keep throwing the ball.

Drake Maye and Fernando Mendoza are the cards to watch in Week 7

Three managers hold Maye. Mike Gioseffi's 2024 Prizm rookie in a PSA 10 is No. 3 on our football Top 10, where I said I'd buy one under $140. The league values his at $153.

Trent and Gary LeMaster both traded for their Maye cards in Week 5. Trent gave up a 2019 Prizm Kyler Murray Silver auto in a PSA 9 for a 2024 Select Maye Turbocharged Zebra in a PSA 9, now valued at $237. Gary swapped a 2020 Optic Justin Jefferson Holo in a PSA 10 for a 2024 Optic Maye Red Wave Preview in a PSA 10, now at $153. PSA 10s of the Prizm rookie sold for $128 to $152 from Oct. 19 to 21, ahead of the Patriots' Thursday night game at Chicago.

Gordy holds the league's only Fernando Mendoza card, a 2026 Topps Now in a PSA 9 at $35. On the Oct. 14 episode, Chris Thomas said, "I think that in three weeks, Fernando Mendoza will make his first NFL start against the Jets," because the Raiders' next two games were against the Bills and the Rams. A week later, Chris asked for half credit on that call because Gordy's card is "already up 13%" after a copy sold for $50. Mendoza's 2026 Topps Rainbow Foil rookie is No. 2 on our football Top 10.

CardWire's five after one week

We're playing along under the league's rules with five cards locked at their latest sales on Oct. 15. When a card sells more than once on its last day, I use the middle sale.

Our five are up 2.8 percent since the lock, even with Bijan's Prizm Silver selling for $243 on Oct. 17 against the $290 we locked. Purdy's Prizm Black sold five times on Oct. 20 for $110 to $200. Allen's PSA 9 sold for $202 and $208 the same day.

I'm keeping all five, even though Smith-Njigba and Gibbs haven't sold since we locked them and won't move until a copy sells. I'll score them again after the league's Week 7 claims on Tuesday, Oct. 27.