Kansas City Chiefs DVOA, Stats, & NFL Rankings

Kansas City Chiefs tight end Travis Kelce overcame a quiet first half in Super Bowl LVIII to lead his team with 93 receiving yards on nine catches (10 targets) in Sunday's 25-22 win over the San Francisco 49ers, raising the third Lombardi Trophy of his illustrious career. The Niners bottled up Kelce for one yard in the first two quarters, but they had a hard time holding down the future Hall of Famer after Dre Greenlaw (Achilles) went down. Kelce kept K.C.'s offense on schedule throughout the second half, moving the chains for five first downs as quarterback Patrick Mahomes' obvious go-to target. The wheels were starting to fall off late in the regular season for Kelce, but his stellar playoffs told a different story. Just when it seemed his 2024 fantasy ADP would come in at a discount, the 34-year-old superstar totaled 32 catches for 355 yards and three touchdowns in four playoff games. We'll cross that bridge when we get there, but Kelce will be 35 this October.

Kansas City Chiefs quarterback Patrick Mahomes collected the third Super Bowl win of his decorated career in Sunday's 25-22 overtime victory over the San Francisco 49ers, completing 34-of-46 passes for 333 yards, two touchdowns, and one interception and adding nine carries for 66 yards. San Francisco held Mahomes and company in check during the first two quarters of a thrilling Super Bowl LVIII, but these two heavyweights went punch for punch after halftime. After a botched Niners punt in the third period, Mahomes perhaps caught the defense off guard with a go-ahead 16-yard score to Marquez Valdes-Scantling. K.C. later matched San Fran's 13-play scoring in OT with one of their own, with Mahomes cashing in a game-winning TD from three yards away to Mecole Hardman Jr. Despite the three-time Super Bowl MVP's down year statistically, Mahomes will be a no-brainer top-five fantasy QB1 when it's time for 2024 drafts.

Kansas City Chiefs wide receiver Justyn Ross is a healthy scratch for Sunday's Super Bowl against the San Francisco 49ers. The 24-year-old rookie returned from suspension to play in 10 regular-season and two playoff games this year. He hasn't caught a pass since Week 18 and ultimately finished his rookie campaign with just six receptions for 53 yards. Ross joins Kadarius Toney (coach's decision) on the bench Sunday, leaving Rashee Rice, Marquez Valdes-Scantling, Mecole Hardman Jr., and Justin Watson as the Chiefs' top active wide receivers.

With most NFL teams employing a backfield committee or time-share approach, San Francisco 49ers running back Elijah Mitchell has spent the season as a throwback, one of only a handful of second running backs who are true backups. While Mitchell did score a touchdown in the NFC Championship Game against Detroit -- after McCaffrey pulled himself out following a long run to the goal line -- he only got three other touches for a total of seven yards. In the game before that versus Green Bay, Mitchell posted all zeros while playing only one offensive snap. The probability that Mitchell's usage suddenly changes is near zero when the team squares off against the Kansas City Chiefs on Sunday at Allegiant Stadium in Las Vegas. Putting Mitchell into a fantasy lineup for the Super Bowl would be betting on an early McCaffrey injury, an improbable scenario that would eliminate many competitors. Having started Mitchell in that event could be a difference-maker.

Kansas City Chiefs running back Isiah Pacheco (ankle, toe) continues to deal with nagging ankle and toe injuries, but he'll be all systems go for Sunday's Super Bowl against the San Francisco 49ers. Although the Niners allowed the second-fewest rushing yards to RBs (1,097) during the regular season, they were beat up a bit by opposing tailbacks in the passing game for the fifth-most catches (90) and seventh-most receiving yards (625) to the position. Aaron Jones accrued 116 total yards in the Divisional Round in San Fran, while Jahmyr Gibbs and David Montgomery combined for 169 total yards and a TD in the NFC title game. Hitting paydirt in last year's big game, Pacheco has been very productive in six career playoff games, flipping 112 touches into 543 scrimmage yards and four TDs. Working in both early-down and pass-game situations, Pacheco probably features the safest floor among K.C.'s supporting cast on Super Bowl Sunday.