Kansas City Chiefs DVOA, Stats, & NFL Rankings

Kansas City Chiefs tight end Travis Kelce has his eyes set on a third-straight Super Bowl win, but first, he must take on the Buffalo Bills in the AFC Championship game this Sunday. Kelce set the playoff record for most games with 100 or more receiving yards in last week's Divisional Round win over the Houston Texans. Despite Patrick Mahomes only passing for 177 yards last week, Kelce caught seven passes for 117 yards and a touchdown. The 35-year-old is one of the most prolific playoff performers in NFL history, and he will likely rattle off another dominant performance at home against the Bills. Kelce enters the weekend just two touchdowns behind Jerry Rice for the most in playoff history. Kelce is easily the top target for Mahomes when the stakes are the highest, and the duo will have to be in sync for the Chiefs to make it to the Super Bowl. Kelce is a must-start option in DFS and playoff leagues this week.

Kansas City Chiefs running back Isiah Pacheco has been a shell of his former self since returning from injury. Even when given the opportunity to start last week's contest, Pacheco remained inefficient and ceded work to veteran Kareem Hunt. The 25-year-old handled five carries for 18 yards against the Texans, compared to eight carries, 44 yards, and a touchdown for Hunt. Given the importance of the matchup and Pacheco's struggles, the Chiefs likely lean on Hunt as their workhorse back in the AFC Championship game this Sunday. Kansas City will face the potent Buffalo Bills in Arrowhead to determine who will represent the AFC in the Super Bowl. With the Chiefs searching for a historic three-peat, the stakes are too high to rely on Pacheco. The second-year back should not be viewed as a start-worthy asset in fantasy playoff leagues and should be considered a dart-throw option in DFS leagues.

Kansas City Chiefs running back Kareem Hunt was the second back on the field for Kansas City, but he proved to be the more reliable option down the stretch. Hunt rushed eight times for 44 yards and a touchdown compared to five carries and 18 yards for Isiah Pacheco. Given his steady performance and Pacheco's inconsistencies, it is likely that the Chiefs lean on him again in this week's contest. Kansas City will face off against the Buffalo Bills in the AFC Championship game this Sunday. Given the high-powered nature of the Bills offense, Kansas City will try to limit the number of opportunities Josh Allen will have to beat them. Hunt will be leaned on the grind out drives and kill the clock this week. If the veteran running back can remain efficient, he should be in for a heavy workload. Consider starting Hunt in DFS and playoff leagues this Sunday.

Kansas City Chiefs quarterback Patrick Mahomes was on the injury report with an ankle injury but practiced fully all week and does not have an injury designation ahead of Sunday's matchup. Mahomes passed for 177 yards and a touchdown in last week's AFC Divisional Round win over the Houston Texans. The Chiefs quarterback will now be playing in his seventh straight AFC Championship game, with a record of 4-2 in his previous appearances. Mahomes will face off against MVP candidate Josh Allen and the Buffalo Bills to see who will represent the AFC in the Super Bowl. The Bills defense is not a shutdown unit, but they did have the fourth-most interceptions in the regular season. The Chiefs will likely try to play a methodical game by slowing the pace on offense, which would be detrimental to Mahomes' numbers. Kansas City has made it their identity to do just enough to win, making it risky to trust Mahomes in DFS and playoff leagues. That said, Mahomes does have boom potential if the Bills can hit the ground running on offense. The Chiefs quarterback is not the no-brainer start he once was, but there is some upside if the game turns into a shootout.

Kansas City Chiefs quarterback Patrick Mahomes (ankle) is on this week's injury report but was a full participant in the first practice of the week on Wednesday. Mahomes suffered a mild high-ankle sprain late in the regular season but didn't miss any time other than being held out of the Week 18 regular-season finale for rest purposes with the No. 1 seed in the AFC already locked up. He's apparently still receiving treatment on his ankle, but it shouldn't be a factor at all in the AFC Championship game this Sunday against the visiting Buffalo Bills. The two-time MVP went 16-for-25 for 177 yards and only one touchdown in last week's victory over the Houston Texans in the Divisional Round and will now face a Bills defense that he went 23-for-33 against with 196 yards, three TDs and two interceptions in a loss back on Nov. 17.