Kansas City Chiefs DVOA, Stats, & NFL Rankings

According to Sam McDowell of The Kansas City Star, the Kansas City Chiefs are opening wide receiver Mecole Hardman's (knee) practice window on Wednesday. Hardman was placed on the injured reserve during the first week of December with a knee injury but will have a good opportunity to return in the postseason. Before the injury, Hardman caught just 12 of his 14 targets for 90 yards and no scores. He added 62 rushing yards and a touchdown on five rushing attempts. When Hardman does return, fantasy managers should expect him to operate as a depth option in the passing attack. However, with Marquise Brown back in action, Hardman will only see occasional snaps and should not be targeted in any playoff competitions.

According to Sam McDowell of The Kansas City Star, Kansas City Chiefs running back Isiah Pacheco (ribs) will not practice on Wednesday. Earlier this week, head coach Andy Reid noted that the running back will be available for the playoffs but will be held out of practice this week. Fantasy managers should continue to monitor his progress during the week but should not expect him to suit up in Week 18, as the Chiefs are already locked into the No.1 seed in the AFC. This means that Pacheco will have another week off before they return to action in the Divisional Round. Since returning in Week 13 from a fractured fibula that kept him sidelined through most of the season, he averaged just over ten total touches per game, operating as the "1A" in the backfield alongside Kareem Hunt. Given his injury history this season, Hunt will likely continue to limit his overall ceiling.

Kansas City Chiefs head coach Andy Reid said on Monday that there are no plans for wide receivers Rashee Rice (knee) and Skyy Moore (abdomen) to return during the postseason. Rice injured his knee in Week 4 and needed season-ending surgery on his ACL, MCL and meniscus, so it's no surprise that he won't be ready for another playoff run in January. The 24-year-old should have a good shot at being healthy for the start of the 2025 season, but he could be facing a suspension due to off-the-field legal issues. Moore, meanwhile, has been on Injured Reserve since late October due to a core-muscle injury. When healthy, the 24-year-old has found himself buried on the WR depth chart. He couldn't corral any of his three targets in six games this year before getting hurt, and Moore had only 43 catches for 494 yards and one TD in 30 games (11 starts) in 2022 and 2023 combined.

Kansas City Chiefs head coach Andy Reid said on Monday that there's a chance that wide receiver Mecole Hardman (knee) could "potentially" return in the postseason. The Chiefs locked up the No. 1 seed in the AFC and will have a first-round bye, which will give their injured players an extra week to try and heal up. The 26-year-old wideout was placed on Injured Reserve back on Dec. 7, but he'll be eligible to return for the Week 18 regular-season finale this Sunday against the division-rival Denver Broncos. Hardman isn't going to be activated for that game, but depending on how he recovers, he could be available for the Divisional Round of the playoffs that runs from Jan. 17-23. In 12 games before his injury, Hardman didn't make much of an impact (12 catches for 90 yards) in a banged-up receiving corps, so fantasy managers in postseason formats shouldn't expect much from him if he returns in January.

Kansas City Chiefs head coach Andy Reid said on Monday that he will probably hold running back Isiah Pacheco (ribs) back in practice this week, but he expects the RB to be ready to go for the playoffs. Reid said that Pacheco "dinged his ribs" in the Week 17 win over the Pittsburgh Steelers on Christmas Day. The 25-year-old finished with only six carries for 18 yards last Wednesday before departing in the fourth quarter. With the Chiefs locked into the AFC's top seed for the playoffs, they will most likely rest most of their starters, including Pacheco, in Week 18 against the division-rival Denver Broncos. Fellow RB Kareem Hunt might also see minimal run, if any at all, this weekend with KC having nothing to play for. If both Pacheco and Hunt are rested completely, look for Samaje Perine and rookie Carson Steele to share backfield touches for an offense that will be run by backup QB Carson Wentz.