Kansas City Chiefs

Kansas City Chiefs running back Isiah Pacheco was listed on the injury report with a rib injury but practiced fully all week and does not have an injury designation for this game. The second-year back has had nearly three weeks to recover since the last time he suited up, so he should be back to full strength come Saturday. Pacheco has been competing with Kareem Hunt for touches out of the backfield, and Hunt appeared to be winning that battle when the duo last played in Week 17 against the Pittsburgh Steelers. Pacheco handled six carries for 18 yards compared to nine carries for 20 yards and a touchdown for Hunt. It is possible that the Chiefs were limiting his touches after his return from injury, so it will be interesting to see how the split shakes out in the team's return to play against the Houston Texans. The Texans held the Los Angeles Chargers to 12 points while also collecting four sacks, four interceptions, and a touchdown. Given the uncertainty around his workload, the 25-year-old is risky to play in playoff leagues. Pacheco is a much better DFS play in case the team decides to lean on him in the run game. The Chiefs are touchdown home favorites, so whichever running back leads the backfield should have some value.

Kansas City Chiefs quarterback Patrick Mahomes was listed on the injury report with an ankle injury but practiced fully all week and has no injury designation heading into this week's contest. Mahomes will benefit from two extra weeks off between games since the Chiefs clinched the top seed in the AFC. The additional rest and preparation should come in handy against the Houston Texans defense that racked up four sacks, four interceptions, and a touchdown in their Wild Card matchup. The 32-year-old should also benefit from a healthy receiving core outside of Mecole Hardman, who is listed as doubtful for this week. For those playing DFS or in playoff leagues, few quarterbacks can compete with Mahomes' career playoff stats. The Chiefs quarterback is among the surest bets to show up when the lights are the brightest. Start Mahomes with confidence anywhere you can.

The Kansas City Chiefs have listed wide receiver Mecole Hardman (knee) as doubtful to play in the Divisional Round contest on Saturday at home against the visiting Houston Texans. Despite being designated to return from Injured Reserve back on Jan. 1, Hardman has yet to be officially activated and is unlikely to return this weekend for the team's first playoff game of the year. Even if the 26-year-old were activated from IR on Friday, he'd be in line for a very limited role on offense after having not played since Week 13. However, if the Chiefs advance past Houston this weekend and to the AFC Championship next weekend, perhaps Hardman will have made enough progress to return to the field. Before injuring his knee, Hardman was targeted only 14 times and caught 12 passes for 90 yards and no touchdowns in 14 games played.

Kansas City Chiefs wide receiver Mecole Hardman (knee) was limited in practice for the second straight day this week on Wednesday, the only player on the team not to practice in full. Hardman remains on Injured Reserve and will likely need to upgrade to a full practice session to have a shot at being activated and playing on Saturday when the team takes on the visiting Houston Texans in the Divisional Round of the playoffs. The 26-year-old was designated to return from IR back on Jan. 1 but did not suit up for the Week 18 loss to the division-rival Denver Broncos in the regular-season finale. If Hardman is activated and plays this weekend, fantasy managers will want to avoid him everywhere, as he'll likely see limited snaps as a depth option for KC's receiving corps. The former second-rounder in 2019 caught only 12 of his 14 targets for 90 yards and no scores in 12 games in 2024 before going on IR.

Kansas City Chiefs running back Isiah Pacheco (rib) was a full participant for the second straight day this week in practice on Wednesday and is trending in the right direction to play against the Houston Texans on Saturday in the Divisional Round of the playoffs. Although the rib injury that Pacheco suffered in Week 17 on Christmas Day against the Pittsburgh Steelers was not considered serious, the Chiefs held Pacheco out of the Week 18 regular-season finale against the division-rival Denver Broncos, and he had an extra week to rest during the bye in the wild-card round. The 25-year-old is now fully ready to go for this Saturday's game against Houston, where he will likely share backfield duties with Kareem Hunt. Pacheco broke his leg early in the year and didn't return from Injured Reserve until Week 13. Once back, he played less than half the offensive snaps in all five games, and that could continue against the Texans.