Kansas City Chiefs DVOA, Stats, & NFL Rankings

Kansas City Chiefs tight end Travis Kelce will take on the Los Angeles Chargers on the road in Week 4. Kelce had four catches for 30 yards in last week's win against the Atlanta Falcons. Kelce has been one of the most disappointing draft picks this season, accumulating only eight catches for 69 yards in three games. The former TE1 overall is ranked 24th amongst tight ends in PPR points per game. Despite his nightmarish start to the season, the stars are aligning for Kelce's breakout performance. The Chargers defense is missing Joey Bosa, attacking from the edge, and star safety Derwin James, who would likely pick Kelce up in coverage. The Chargers could also be missing key pieces on their offensive line and quarterback. The Chiefs should be able to pick apart the Los Angeles defense in this contest. However, given the likelihood that the Chiefs win, the run game could be heavily involved, limiting Kelce's upside. Nevertheless, the matchup is juicy, and the stage is set for Kelce to perform. The Chiefs tight end should still be considered a TE1 in this matchup.

Kansas City Chiefs quarterback Patrick Mahomes will take on the Los Angeles Chargers in Week 4. Mahomes passed for 217 yards and two touchdowns in last week's win over the Atlanta Falcons. Mahomes has been disappointing as a fantasy quarterback, but his team is undefeated, so there is no motivation to change how the offense operates. The Chargers defense has allowed the 10th-fewest passing yards this season, but that could be skewed by their level of competition in the first three weeks. The Los Angeles defense faced Gardner Minshew and the Raiders in Week 1, Bryce Young and the Panthers in Week 2, and Justin Fields and the Steelers in Week 3. Mahomes and the Chiefs will be the first real test for the Chargers defense, who will also be without stars Derwin James due to a suspension and Joey Bosa due to injury. The Chargers are also dealing with three massive offensive injuries. Rashawn Slater has been ruled out, while Justin Herbert and Joe Alt are both questionable for the matchup. The stars are aligning for the Chiefs to breeze through this contest, which could benefit Mahomes in the first half, but the Chiefs may not need to push the envelope on offense in the second half. Mahomes is likely still a QB1, but towards the lower end of that range, considering the run game could salt the game away.

A Kansas City Chiefs source said that tight end Travis Kelce isn't hurt, tired or out of shape. "It's such a long season, he will be there when it matters most. He started the same way last season," the source said. Kelce didn't miss a single workout this summer, mandatory or voluntary. Others have questioned his commitment to football surrounding appearances with his superstar girlfriend, commercials, a new acting gig and a popular podcast. Before signing a contract that made him the highest-paid TE in the NFL last spring, Kelce told head coach Andy Reid and general manager Brett Veach he thought he had at least two more good years left. Opponents are still deploying some of their best defensive backs to slow Kelce down, and the emergence of receiver Rashee Rice means that quarterback Patrick Mahomes doesn't always need to rely on Kelce. The 34-year-old may be off to a slow start in 2024 with eight catches for 69 yards and no TDs through three games, but most everyone is expecting him to come alive eventually.

ESPN's Dan Graziano thinks the next quarterback to be benched in the NFL could be Las Vegas Raiders QB Gardner Minshew II. When Minshew won the training camp battle at the position over Aidan O'Connell, it felt like you couldn't rule out the possibility of the two signal-callers flip-flopping back and forth all year. Head coach Antonio Pierce is sticking with Minshew after the embarrassing loss to the Carolina Panthers in Week 4, but Pierce certainly wasn't happy after that loss. Minshew is 24th in QBR (44.1) through the first three weeks of the season. It hasn't all been Minshew's fault, but the Raiders could make the move to O'Connell sooner than later just to shake things up. Minshew's Week 2 upset over the Baltimore Ravens likely bought him at least another week. Some with the Raiders thought O'Connell had a slight edge coming out of offseason workouts over Minshew.

Kansas City Chiefs running back Keaontay Ingram has been waived by the organization on Tuesday. Ingram was the odd man out with Kareem Hunt being added to the active roster. There was no more room for Ingram with Carson Steele, Samaje Perine, and now Hunt all in the mix while Isiah Pacheco (leg) recovers. Ingram rushed for 134 yards on 62 attempts over parts of two seasons with the Arizona Cardinals. He didn't play a single snap despite being active for the game last week. The 24-year-old will look to catch on elsewhere as depth.