Kansas City Chiefs DVOA, Stats, & NFL Rankings

Kansas City Chiefs quarterback Patrick Mahomes will take on the Carolina Panthers in Week 12. The 29-year-old is coming off the team's first loss of the season and looking to bounce back. Mahomes threw for 196 yards and three touchdowns in the contest but coughed up the ball with two interceptions. The Chiefs quarterback has underperformed his fantasy expectations this season, but the Panthers will be a good spot for him to right the ship. The Panthers rank 26th in fantasy points allowed to opposing quarterbacks this season, so Mahomes will have one of the most favorable matchups at the position. Mahomes is ranked QB8 in our RotoBaller rankings this week, making him a low-end QB1 option for fantasy. Given his favorable matchup, fantasy managers can feel more confident about starting Mahomes this week.

Kansas City Chiefs running back Isiah Pacheco (leg) has been ruled out ahead of the Week 12 matchup against the Carolina Panthers. Pacheco was designated to return from the injured reserve last week. He has been able to get through some limited practice sessions, but Pacheco isn't quite ready for game action. The Chiefs have decided to hold him out for at least one more game. Kareem Hunt will continue working as the lead back and should have RB1 value for this favorable matchup against the Panthers defense. Fantasy managers can be hopeful to get something out of Pacheco next week.

Kansas City Chiefs running back Isiah Pacheco (ankle) remained a limited participant during Thursday's practice. Fantasy managers should pay close attention to his status during Friday's practice as it may provide some clarity on his ability heading into the weekend. The Rutgers product has been sidelined since sustaining a fractured fibula in their Week 2 victory over the Cincinnati Bengals. While sidelined, veteran Kareem Hunt has seen most of the opportunities out of the backfield, with Samaje Perine and rookie Carson Steele mixing in. Before his injury, Pacheco was on track to enjoy a breakout campaign as he scored at least 15.0 PPR points in each game with at least 15 attempts and three targets in each contest. When he returns to action, fantasy managers should expect him to see most of the opportunities out of the backfield.

The Kansas City Chiefs are saying that running back Isiah Pacheco (leg) will practice with the team on Wednesday. "We'll just have to see... day-by-day type thing," head coach Andy Reid said. Pacheco remains on Injured Reserve due to a fractured fibula and missed his eighth straight game in the team's first loss of the season to the Buffalo Bills in Week 11, but he was limited in practice all of last week and is eyeing his return in Week 12 against the Carolina Panthers. However, it's still uncertain as to whether the 25-year-old will actually return this weekend, and if he does, he'll be much more volatile as a must-start option in fantasy lineups. Kareem Hunt has been a must-start RB for fantasy managers in Pacheco's absence, but he's expected to lose most of his appeal the rest of the season once Pacheco returns as KC's lead back.

Former New England Patriots wide receiver Tyquan Thornton has signed with the Kansas City Chiefs' practice squad on Monday, according to a source. The former second-rounder in 2022 out of Baylor will now get another opportunity with the defending Super Bowl champions after the Patriots waived him on Saturday. The 24-year-old caught 35 of his 68 targets for 338 yards and two touchdowns in 22 games (12 starts) in his first two years in New England before catching just four passes on eight targets for 47 yards in six games with the Patriots this year. Thornton certainly has some more intrigue in KC, but it remains to be seen if he can work his way into a big enough role down the stretch for the Chiefs. As things stand now, the Chiefs have a receiving corps that includes DeAndre Hopkins, JuJu Smith-Schuster, rookie Xavier Worthy, Mecole Hardman and Justin Watson.