Kansas City Chiefs

Kansas City Chiefs wide receiver Xavier Worthy may not be relied on earlier in the season, according to some reports, but he seems to be well on his way to getting more opportunities already. Andy Reid reportedly doesn't like to rely on rookies too heavily to begin a season, but Worthy has drawn praise from the head coach himself as well as his All-Pro quarterback Patrick Mahomes. The superstar signal-caller said he loved Worthy's route running and how he plays with physicality. Those two attributes while catching passes from one of the best to ever throw the ball could equate to some big performances. Worthy has a path to playing time with an inconsistent receiver corps and his cost is low enough in fantasy drafts to be worth a stash for later.

Kansas City Chiefs running back Clyde Edwards-Helaire (illness) was not seen at the portion of Sunday's practice open to the media, according to Pete Sweeney of Arrowhead Pride. Edwards-Helaire recently revealed that he's been dealing with post-traumatic stress disorder. While that kept him out of some training camp sessions, it's unclear whether the diagnosis explains his absence from practice on Sunday. The Chiefs' first injury report of the year will be released Monday, which should provide some more context regarding Edwards-Helaire's status and availability. In the event that he can't suit up Thursday, veteran Samaje Perine and preseason standout Carson Steele would round out the remainder of the backfield behind Isiah Pacheco.

Kansas City Chiefs wide receiver Rashee Rice figures to be someone coming off fairly early in fantasy drafts. However, Rice is reportedly not being taken until sometimes the seventh or eighth round, according to the New York Post. There was some concern about Rice being suspended, but that won't happen this season. That means, fantasy managers in redrafts formats have nothing to worry about with Rice. It doesn't sound like Marquise Brown (shoulder) is going to be ready for the beginning of the season. The loss of Brown should only increase the value of Rice heading into the opener. Last season, Rice saw 102 targets during his rookie season with the team. The team hasn't added much competition, so Rice should remain the favorite wide receiver to quarterback Patrick Mahomes. The Chiefs do have Travis Kelce and Xavier Worthy, but Rice should still be a strong WR2 in basically all fantasy formats.

Kansas City Chiefs head coach Andy Reid said that he expects running back Samaje Perine, who was just signed this week after being released by the division-rival Denver Broncos, to play in the Week 1 regular-season opener on Thursday night against the Baltimore Ravens in a rematch of last year's AFC Championship. Although Perine will eventually have an opportunity to carve out a nice role on third downs for KC, the Chiefs won't overload him in the season opener, and he's currently listed as the RB4 on the depth chart behind starter Isiah Pacheco, Clyde Edwards-Helaire and rookie Carson Steele. Perine's signing with the defending Super Bowl champions immediately gave him more upside in deep PPR leagues, but he's still only worth a bench stash, at best. Perine's addition to KC's backfield should also slightly worry Pacheco's fantasy managers.

Kansas City Chiefs head coach Andy Reid said that wide receiver Marquise Brown (shoulder) is the only player not practicing on Sunday. This shouldn't come as much of a surprise, as Reid said earlier this week that the Chiefs aren't expecting Brown to suit up to kick off the 2024 regular season this Thursday night against the Baltimore Ravens. The 27-year-old suffered a shoulder injury in the team's preseason opener and missed the rest of the preseason and training camp. It remains to be seen if he has a shot to make his Chiefs debut in Week 2 against the visiting Cincinnati Bengals, but he'll need to get back on the practice field in some capacity first. Brown is still worth stashing as a WR4/flex with upside in upcoming fantasy drafts, but just know he could miss several weeks to open the season. For however long he's out, more targets will be coming for Rashee Rice, rookie Xavier Worthy, and Justin Watson, among others.