Kansas City Chiefs

Starting next month, the New England Patriots could cut wide receiver JuJu Smith-Schuster at a cost of $9.6 million in dead money and no salary cap relief, per Over the Cap, while releasing him before then would incur $2.6 million more in dead money and take a small chunk out of their league-leading $54 million cap room. If the Pats traded Smith-Schuster after June 1, they'd save almost $7 million in cap space and clear room for their young receivers to see more playing time. New England could prioritize playing time for rookies Ja'Lynn Polk and Javon Baker, plus 2023 sixth-rounder Demario Douglas. It all means that Smith-Schuster may no longer be the team's No. 2 receiver, especially with Kendrick Bourne and K.J. Osborn also on the roster.

The Kansas City Chiefs and All-Pro tight end Travis Kelce agreed to terms on Monday on an undisclosed two-year contract extension to make him the league's highest-paid tight end, according to sources. The deal was completed by his long-time agent, Mike Simon. Still one of the best tight ends in football at age 34, the former third-round pick in 2013 out of Cincinnati has been a Pro Bowler in each of the last nine seasons and finished the 2023 regular season with 93 catches (121 targets) for 984 yards and five touchdowns in 15 starts. The four-time All-Pro selection is still a high-end TE1 for fantasy purposes coming off back-to-back Super Bowl championships, but he's also much more of an injury risk than he's ever been.

The Kansas City Chiefs traded up to the No. 28 overall pick with the Buffalo Bills in the 2024 NFL draft on Thursday night to select Texas wide receiver Xavier Worthy. Worthy posted the fastest recorded 40-yard dash time at the NFL combine in February and doesn't turn 21 years old until Saturday. He's obviously a burner at the receiver position, but he's also tough and had the production to back it with the Longhorns (over 1,000 yards receiving in 2023). The concern with Worthy is his slight frame at 5-foot-11, 165 pounds. Worthy isn't just a pass-catcher, as he can also factor in for the Chiefs as a kick returner on special teams. It remains to be seen exactly how KC will use Worthy on offense in his rookie season, but he'll certainly help with the team's depth at the position with Rashee Rice expected to be handed a multi-game suspension in 2024.

ESPN's Adam Schefter is reporting that Kansas City Chiefs wide receiver Rashee Rice is expected to be disciplined by the NFL, resulting in at least a multi-game suspension. Rice is currently facing eight charges after he and another driver of a speeding car allegedly caused a crash involving a half-dozen vehicles in Dallas last month. He turned himself into police last week before being released on bond. The looming suspension for Rice could push the Chiefs, who own the No. 32 pick in this week's NFL draft, to keep a close eye on receivers in the draft. KC would have been expected to look for receiver help even before Rice's off-field troubles. They had the most drops in the league (38) in 2023. Rice was quarterback Patrick Mahomes' favorite target outside of tight end Travis Kelce last year, but his fantasy stock is going to take a hit going into 2024 with a suspension looming.

Kansas City Chiefs general manager Brett Veach acknowledged that new wide receiver Marquise Brown could have a lucrative role with the team in 2024. With Brown now on the roster, the Chiefs feel better about their situation at the receiver position prior to the draft than they would have otherwise. Brown's role could be even more important with Rashee Rice's uncertain future following his arrest on charges stemming from a car crash in March. As things stand right now, Rice, Brown and Justin Watson are the team's top three receivers, with Skyy Moore and Kadarius Toney behind them. The 26-year-old Brown, the former 25th overall pick in 2019 by the Cardinals out of Oklahoma, had two disappointing seasons in the desert in which he played in just 26 games due to injuries. But if he can stay healthy in 2024 and Rice faces a suspension, he could be a real value pick in fantasy drafts.