Kansas City Chiefs DVOA, Stats, & NFL Rankings

Kansas City Chiefs tight end Travis Kelce had four catches for 30 yards in the 22-17 win against the Atlanta Falcons. Kelce was targeted five times in this contest, second-most on the team behind Rashee Rice. Rice has undoubtedly passed Kelce as the top option in the Patrick Mahomes-led offense. The 34-year-old has not reached five receptions or 35 receiving yards in any game this season, which is highly concerning for the Chiefs tight end. Kelce has long been a top 3 option at the tight end position, but it looks as though those days are over. Kelce is averaging 5.0 PPR points per game this season, which is a far cry from his expected production based on his ADP. Kelce will try to right the ship against the Los Angeles Chargers in Week 4. The Chargers have allowed the 13th-fewest passing yards this season, but Mahomes should be able to get Kelce the ball if he is open. The Chiefs tight end remains a must-start tight end, given the high-powered offense, but I would rank Kelce as a low-end TE1 moving forward until he shows any improvement.

Kansas City Chiefs running back Carson Steele rushed for 72 yards on 17 carries in the 22-17 win against the Atlanta Falcons. Steele was also targeted twice out of the backfield and brought in one catch for two yards. As expected, Steele was the lead back for the Chiefs and was heavily involved in this contest. Steele averaged 4.2 yards per carry, and his longest run was nine yards. He was not particularly explosive, but he is a hard-nosed running back who runs downhill. Steele looks to be a serviceable replacement in the absence of Isiah Pacheco, but the Falcons were among the easier matchups for the running back position. Steele will have to do more to prove himself against the Los Angeles Chargers in Week 4. The Chargers have allowed the ninth-fewest rushing yards this season, so it will be a tougher matchup for the Chiefs running back. It remains to be seen when the Chiefs will get Kareem Hunt involved in the offense and how that split will affect Steele's value, but if he gets this workload every week, he will be a viable option for fantasy in a good offense that wants to run the ball. Steele should be a solid start with touchdown upside in the Chiefs offense.

Kansas City Chiefs wide receiver Rashee Rice caught 12 of his 14 targets for 110 yards and a touchdown in the 22-17 win against the Atlanta Falcons. Rice was a force on Sunday Night, accounting for nearly a third of the Chiefs' total yards in the contest. The second-year receiver led all Chiefs pass-catchers in receptions, targets, and receiving yards again in Week 3. With each passing week, Rice proves he is the undisputed top option for Patrick Mahomes. With the loss of Isiah Pacheco, Mahomes attempted 11 more passes than his previous season-high, which benefitted Rice more than anyone. Rice has two touchdowns and has reached 100 receiving yards in a game twice this season. The Chiefs receiver will look to continue his dominance against the Los Angeles Chargers in Week 4. The Chargers have allowed the 13th-fewest passing yards this season, but Rice should be able to produce at his typical level against them. Rice should be started as a locked-in WR1 moving forward.

Kansas City Chiefs quarterback Patrick Mahomes completed 26 of 39 pass attempts (66.7%) for 217 yards and two touchdowns in the 22-17 win against the Atlanta Falcons. This marks the third straight game that Mahomes has passed for fewer than 300 yards to begin the season and the second straight game that he passed for fewer than 225 yards. The Chiefs quarterback has also thrown at least one interception in every game this season, as Justin Simmons picked him off in this contest. Mahomes connected with Rashee Rice and JuJu Smith-Schuster for his two passing touchdowns of the evening, bringing his total to five this season. His 39 pass attempts were his most this season, eclipsing his previous high of 28 in Week 1, but Mahomes was far less efficient as this was his lowest completion percentage of the year. The loss of Isiah Pacheco out of the backfield will take time to adjust to, but Mahomes will get a chance to turn it around against the Los Angeles Chargers in Week 4. The divisional rival Chargers have been above average against the pass, with the 13th-fewest passing yards allowed, but they have been more stingy against the run. Mahomes must improve his passing efficiency to extend the Kansas City winning streak to four games. The Chiefs quarterback has been lackluster so far, so he may be a mid-to-backend QB1 instead of the top-end option he was drafted to be.

Kansas City Chiefs kicker Harrison Butker will face the Atlanta Falcons in Week 3. Butker split the uprights to seal the Chiefs victory in Week 2 against the Cincinnati Bengals. The Chiefs could rely more on their star kicker with the loss of a primary weapon on offense. Kansas City placed running back Isiah Pacheco on injured reserve earlier this week, and he should be out for an extended period with a broken leg. If the Chiefs offense becomes less effective in the red zone, Butker could be asked to kick even more field goals for the reigning Super Bowl champions. The Chiefs kicker has not missed a kick this season, nailing four field goals and five extra-point attempts. Butker will look to stay perfect this week on the road in Atlanta. Butker is a must-start kicker.