Team Profile
Kansas City Chiefs
-
12.5% 9thOff DVOA
-
25.2% 14thPassing DVOA
-
1.8% 9thRushing DVOA
-
-16.8% 2ndDef DVOA
-
-10.7% 6thDef Passing DVOA
-
-24.9% 2ndDef Rushing DVOA
2024 Team Stats
-
Points For24.4 12th
-
Points Against18.0 4th
-
Yards Per Game347.0 10th
-
Yards Allowed Per Game290.0 4th
When Kansas City Chiefs head coach Andy Reid was asked by reporters who would fill the void of the 3rd-down running back role left by Jerick McKinnon, he praised Isiah Pacheco and his readiness to take on the responsibility. "He's ready to be able to do all that. He's good with the protections, he's good with the technique and fundamentals, he can run all the routes, he's got great hands." Pacheco out-targeted McKinnon (49-to-32) in 2023 and led him in receptions and yardage. Though McKinnon did outscore the Rutgers product 4-to-2. If what Reid means is that Pacheco is meant to absorb this workload, that would be fantastic news. The third-year Chiefs running back is the RB10 in RotoBaller rankings and the No. 27 overall player in NFFC ADP (RB11). Pacheco had 49 receptions last season and would see his fantasy floor and ceiling rise if his snap share increases.
Tennessee Titans wide receiver DeAndre Hopkins (knee) is in danger of missing the beginning of the regular season. The veteran wideout suffered a knee strain during Tuesday's practice. Hopkins was reportedly wearing a wrap on his knee during Thursday's practice session. The organization believes that Hopkins could miss four to six weeks of action because of this injury. Hopkins could potentially be unavailable for the Week 1 matchup against the Chicago Bears. When healthy, Hopkins should be considered a high-end WR2 for fantasy purposes. The knee injury is a concern, but it shouldn't drop him too far on draft boards.
Kansas City Chiefs wide receiver Marquise Brown (illness) returned to practice at training camp on Wednesday. Brown was sidelined for a couple of days due to an illness, but he's back in action at camp on Wednesday. The 27-year-old star wideout registered a pitiful 5.7 yards per target over 101 targets a year ago in the desert with the Arizona Cardinals, badly fading after a hot start and missing four games with a sore heel, but he'll have a great chance to bounce back as a fringe WR2/3 in fantasy drafts with superstar quarterback Patrick Mahomes in 2024. After dropping just one pass over his 51 receptions, Brown should at least give the Chiefs' offense some stability this year after it was plagued by receiver drops last year. With the Rashee Rice situation in a state of uncertainty, Brown's ADP could rise or fall based on when or if Rice gets suspended.
The New York Jets have signed former Detroit Lions tight end Anthony Firkser. Firkser joins a Jets tight end room led by Tyler Conklin. Firkser only appeared in two games for the Lions in 2023 and did not record a statistic. This appears to be a depth add for the Jets as they prepare for the season's long haul with eyes set on the Super Bowl. Time will tell if Firkser manages to make the final roster. This move is of little consequence for fantasy football.
Kansas City Chiefs running back Clyde Edwards-Helaire (illness) didn't practice on Sunday. Like his teammate, Marquise Brown, he's under the weather. However, it doesn't appear CEH will be out of action for long, so there's a chance he may return to training camp on Monday. The 25-year-old has spent four seasons in Kansas City since entering the league in 2020. Unfortunately, his production has been sporadic, rushing for 1,845 yards and 12 touchdowns off 441 carries and amassing 89 grabs for 765 yards and seven scores. The Chiefs have Isiah Pacheco as the No. 1 option on the depth chart, meaning Edwards-Helaire shouldn't be viewed as anything other than an insurance policy in fantasy drafts heading into the 2024-25 campaign.