Kansas City Chiefs DVOA, Stats, & NFL Rankings

Kansas City Chiefs tight end Travis Kelce will face the Las Vegas Raiders in Week 8. Since the loss of Rashee Rice due to a knee injury, Kelce has been the benefactor of the relinquished targets. After two weeks of strong utilization in the offense, Kelce had a down game in Week 7. Kelce had four catches for 17 yards against the San Francisco 49ers. Kelce will take on the Raiders, who rank eighth in fantasy points allowed to opposing tight ends, but he will likely receive a large percentage of the passing volume. The arrival of All-Pro wide receiver DeAndre Hopkins may cap Kelce's ceiling for volume but could help his efficiency by attracting more defensive coverage. Kelce is ranked as TE3 in our RotoBaller Half-PPR rankings this week, so start him as a high-end TE1.

Kansas City Chiefs running back Kareem Hunt will take on the Las Vegas Raiders in Week 8. Hunt has been the undisputed leader of the backfield since his first game back in Kansas City, and that should continue to be the case until the eventual return of Isiah Pacheco. The Raiders ranked 25th in fantasy points allowed to opposing running backs this season, so Hunt will find a favorable matchup in this contest. The Chiefs lead back handled 22 carries for 78 yards and two touchdowns against the San Francisco 49ers in Week 7. Hunt should continue to see that level of usage in this contest, leading to a ton of fantasy success against the Raiders. Hunt is ranked RB9 in our RotoBaller Half-PPR rankings this week, so fire him up as a low-end RB1.

Kansas City Chiefs quarterback Patrick Mahomes will take on the Las Vegas Raiders in Week 8. The Raiders were already a favorable matchup before trading Davante Adams to the New York Jets, but now they are an even less formidable opponent. Despite his team's undefeated record, Mahomes has been one of the most disappointing quarterbacks in fantasy football this season. Mahomes passed for 154 yards and zero passing touchdowns against the San Francisco 49ers in Week 7. The Chiefs quarterback did find the endzone on the ground but threw two more interceptions. I expect another underwhelming outing in this contest, considering the Raiders have a near-zero chance of making this game competitive. The Chiefs are nearly 10-point road favorites in this game, so we should see a heavy dose of Kareem Hunt on Sunday afternoon. The Chiefs should win this game easily, on the backs of their run game and defense, leaving Mahomes with less work. Mahomes is ranked QB11 in our RotoBaller rankings, but I suggest looking elsewhere.

Kansas City Chiefs wide receiver DeAndre Hopkins will make his team debut against the Las Vegas Raiders in Week 8. Head coach Andy Reid officially confirmed that the veteran wideout will play this weekend. The Chiefs offense has been crushed by injuries, so they made a move and acquired Hopkins from the Tennessee Titans. Hopkins has been quiet with only 15 receptions for 173 yards and a touchdown this season, but should see an immediate boost playing with Patrick Mahomes. It's worth noting that it's a new system and playbook for Hopkins, so fantasy managers shouldn't expect him to be fantastic right away. He should be a fine flex option against a struggling Raiders defense.

After a limited practice session on Wednesday to start the week, Kansas City Chiefs running back Kareem Hunt (hip) was a full-go in Thursday's practice. Hunt's return to a full practice should assure that he'll be active this Sunday against the division-rival Las Vegas Raiders at Allegiant Stadium unless he suffers a setback on Friday. Isiah Pacheco (leg) remains on Injured Reserve, so the 29-year-old Hunt will remain the Chiefs' lead back this weekend in an excellent matchup. In a starting role in each of the team's last two games, Hunt has 49 total carries for 180 yards (3.67 yards per carry) and three touchdowns while adding three catches for 20 yards. Fantasy managers should consider him a must-start fantasy RB this weekend against a Raiders defense that has given up the ninth-most half-PPR points per game to the position this year.