Kansas City Chiefs DVOA, Stats, & NFL Rankings

The Kansas City Chiefs have ruled out wide receivers Rashee Rice (hamstring) and Kadarius Toney (hip) for the Week 18 regular season finale against the Los Angeles Chargers. With the No. 3 seed in the AFC already locked up, the Chiefs will also be resting quarterback Patrick Mahomes and offensive tackle Donovan Smith (neck). It means that a Chiefs offense that has been less than stellar this year is going to be even weaker for a meaningless contest this weekend against the Bolts. The 23-year-old Rice should be good to go for the wild-card round next week. Toney, meanwhile, will miss his third straight game, although he, too, should be ready to roll next week for the start of the postseason. With Rice and Toney out on Sunday, Justin Watson, Marquez Valdes-Scantling, Mecole Hardman Jr, Justyn Ross and Richie James should all be more involved.

Cleveland Browns running back Kareem Hunt (groin) was present at practice on Thursday but had his repetitions limited. It's an improvement after Hunt didn't practice on Wednesday. Hunt has been a regular on the injury report this season but he hasn't missed a game. The fact that the 28-year-old was able to return to practice on Thursday bodes well for his availability for Sunday's game against the Cincinnati Bengals. However, the Browns could hold out many of their starters this weekend while already being locked into the No. 5 seed for the playoffs, which will make Hunt a risky DFS option in Week 18. Hopefully we'll get a better feel for which starters besides quarterback Joe Flacco will be rested and whether Hunt will play by Friday or Saturday.

San Francisco 49ers running back Elijah Mitchell (illness) was under the weather and didn't practice with the rest of the team on Wednesday, but he returned to a limited session on Thursday. Mitchell should be available for the Week 18 regular season finale on Sunday against the Los Angeles Rams, and a bigger backfield role should be in store with Christian McCaffrey (calf) already ruled out. With quarterback Brock Purdy also being rested, expect the Niners to lean on a more ground-based approach with Sam Darnold running the offense. It's all good news for Mitchell's fantasy appeal in DFS this weekend, although Jordan Mason reportedly could be utilized as the primary back. Tyrion Davis-Price could see some run as well, so Mitchell will still be a pretty risky option at the RB position for a Niners team that has already locked up the top seed in the NFC.

Kansas City Chiefs tight end Travis Kelce (neck) was limited in practice on Thursday for the second straight day this week. Kelce's injury isn't too serious, but there's a good chance the Chiefs will rest him or hold him out entirely in the Week 18 regular season finale on Sunday against the Los Angeles Chargers. The Chiefs are locked into the No. 3 seed in the AFC for the playoffs and have already announced that quarterback Patrick Mahomes won't play at all. The 34-year-old Kelce has battled through nagging injuries this year and could probably use some rest heading into the playoffs, so we recommend avoiding the tight end in DFS lineups. Noah Gray (ribs) and Blake Bell (finger), who have been practicing in full this week, should see a lot more run with quarterback Blaine Gabbert running the offense against LA.

Kansas City Chiefs running back Isiah Pacheco (quadriceps, shoulder) was back on the practice field on Thursday and put in a limited session after he was a non-participant on Wednesday. Pacheco's injuries don't appear to be too serious, however, he'll be a candidate to be rested in the Week 18 regular season finale against the Los Angeles Chargers with the Chiefs having already locked up the No. 3 seed in the AFC. The 24-year-old could sit entirely this weekend or only play a limited number of snaps, making him a very risky DFS play and single-season lineup option. Clyde Edwards-Helaire (illness) appears ready to return from an illness that sidelined him last weekend, so he, La'Mical Perine and Keaontay Ingram could get more work against the Bolts if Pacheco is rested.