Kansas City Chiefs DVOA, Stats, & NFL Rankings

Kansas City Chiefs running back Kareem Hunt had 16 carries for 68 yards in the team's 30-27 win over the Carolina Panthers. Despite facing one of the easiest matchups for running backs, Hunt managed under 70 rushing yards and zero touchdowns in this contest. This game may have been Hunt's last with zero competition out of the backfield since Isiah Pacheco will likely return in Week 13. Nevertheless, the Chiefs play on Black Friday against the Las Vegas Raiders, who rank 26th in fantasy points allowed to opposing running backs this season. Hunt could still be involved out of the backfield if the Chiefs decide to lighten Pacheco's workload in his first game back from a broken leg. Fantasy managers should still find a way to get Hunt into their lineups but temper expectations with Pacheco returning.

Kansas City Chiefs tight end Travis Kelce caught six passes for 62 yards in the 30-27 win over the Carolina Panthers. Kelce paced the team in targets and catches in this close victory but took a backseat to the team's other tight end. Noah Gray finished the game with two touchdowns and the most receiving yards on the team. Despite not scoring in this contest, Kelce should still be viewed as a top-tier tight end option heading into the team's Black Friday matchup with the Las Vegas Raiders. The Raiders rank 32nd in fantasy points allowed to opposing tight ends this season, meaning Kelce will have the most favorable matchup for tight ends next week. Fantasy managers should be content with this performance and expect a more dominant game next week.

Kansas City Chiefs quarterback Patrick Mahomes completed 27 of 37 pass attempts (73%) for 269 yards and three touchdowns in the 30-27 win over the Carolina Panthers. The 29-year-old also rushed five times for 60 yards in this game. Mahomes had by far his best game of the season in this week's contest despite being heavy favorites going into the matchup. The Panthers offense kept pace with the Kansas City offense until the end of the game. The Chiefs eventually won the game on a last-second field goal, but the Panthers tied the game with under two minutes in the fourth quarter. The Chiefs quarterback will look to keep this momentum rolling into their Black Friday matchup with the Las Vegas Raiders in Week 13. The Raiders rank 25th in fantasy points allowed to opposing quarterbacks this season, meaning Mahomes will have a favorable matchup next Friday. Fantasy managers should be encouraged by this performance and feel more confident about starting him.

Kansas City Chiefs wide receiver Mecole Hardman caught the pass from quarterback Patrick Mahomes that resulted in his team defeating the 49ers in Super Bowl LVIII. Unfortunately, the 26-year-old hasn't been relevant since then, catching only 12 passes for 90 yards during the 2024-25 campaign. With the number of injuries on the roster this season, most assumed Hardman would have a chance to get more involved. However, that hasn't happened. Of course, he's been known to have some impressive fantasy showings over the years. Still, outside of his contributions as a member of the special teams unit, Hardman likely won't see much work in Week 12 versus the Carolina Panthers.

Kansas City Chiefs wide receiver Justin Watson should not be relied upon in any fantasy format this weekend when the Chiefs face the Carolina Panthers. Even with Rashee Rice (knee) and JuJu Smith-Schuster (hamstring) both missing time, Watson has been unable to enjoy any consistency in the Kansas City offense. Since Week 7, Watson has averaged just 2.4 targets per game with an average of 4.5 PPR points per game during this span. In addition, this past weekend, during their loss to the Buffalo Bills, Watson saw his snap count drop significantly as he saw 49 in Week 10 but a mere 30 in Week 11. Until Watson can see stable targets and opportunities, fantasy managers should continue to leave Watson on the waiver wire.