Kansas City Chiefs DVOA, Stats, & NFL Rankings

Kansas City Chiefs wide receiver JuJu Smith-Schuster (hamstring) was limited in the first practice of the week on Wednesday but was upgraded to full participation for Thursday's session, putting him on track to return in Week 11 to face the Buffalo Bills on the road. Head coach Andy Reid already said earlier this week that it's likely that Smith-Schuster would make his return against Buffalo after missing the previous three games with a hamstring injury. The 27-year-old wideout was a popular waiver-wire target after going for 130 receiving yards on seven catches in the win over the Saints on Oct. 7, but he was injured on Oct. 20 against the 49ers, and the Chiefs have since acquired DeAndre Hopkins in a trade with the Titans. At best, Smith-Schuster will probably be quarterback Patrick Mahomes' No. 3 target behind Hopkins and tight end Travis Kelce, making him a boom/bust WR4/flex in fantasy.

Kansas City Chiefs running back Isiah Pacheco (leg) had his 21-day practice window opened on Wednesday and put in a second straight day with a limited showing on Thursday. However, the Chiefs don't expect Pacheco to come off Injured Reserve to face the Buffalo Bills this Sunday, and fantasy managers may not want to expect his return until later in November. Remember, the 25-year-old suffered a fractured fibula in Week 2 and hasn't played since, so it's going to take him some to get back up to speed before the Chiefs trust him in game action. In the meantime, he should remain stashed in all fantasy leagues while Kareem Hunt continues to serve as the lead back. When Pacheco does return, the Chiefs could ease him back in alongside Hunt, who has been a game-changer for fantasy managers that scooped him up off the waiver wire earlier this season.

The Kansas City Chiefs placed kicker Harrison Butker (knee) on Injured Reserve due to a knee injury on Thursday and signed kicker Spencer Shrader off the New York Jets' practice squad in a corresponding move, according to sources. Butker will now be forced to miss at least the next four games, which means the earliest he'll be eligible to return will be on Dec. 15 on the road against the Cleveland Browns in Week 15. The 29-year-old was heading into Week 11 action as a top-10 fantasy kicker while making 18 of his 20 field-goal tries and 21 of his 22 extra-point attempts in nine games. It's a big blow to KC's special-teams kicking unit, as Shrader will be a big drop-off in talent moving forward for the Chiefs' offense. Fantasy managers with a realistic shot at making the postseason will probably want to stash Butker in an IR spot if they have the room.UPDATE: Butker will have a procedure to clean up his left meniscus and is expected to miss three to four weeks.

Las Vegas Raiders head coach Antonio Pierce announced that veteran Gardner Minshew II will start at quarterback against the Miami Dolphins in Week 11. There was speculation that former Atlanta Falcons starter Desmond Ridder would get the nod, but the organization is rolling with Minshew for at least one more week. Minshew has been benched three times this year and has not had much success through his first eight games in the Silver and Black. The 28-year-old has completed 67% of his passes for 1,501 yards, six touchdowns, and eight interceptions in 2024. He is not on the fantasy football radar in single-QB formats.

Kansas City Chiefs head coach Andy Reid said that wide receiver JuJu Smith-Schuster (hamstring) is likely to return and play in Week 11 against the Buffalo Bills on the road. Smith-Schuster has not played since injuring his hamstring in a win over the San Francisco 49ers on Oct. 20, but he's expected to return to practice this week and play this weekend. The week prior to his injury, Smith-Schuster went off for seven catches and 130 yards in the win over the New Orleans Saints, prompting plenty of waiver-wire consideration with the Chiefs' receiving corps so banged up. However, since his injury, KC landed DeAndre Hopkins in a trade with the Tennessee Titans. The 27-year-old will have a role in the Chiefs' passing attack when he returns, but the addition of Hopkins makes him less exciting from a fantasy perspective.