Kansas City Chiefs DVOA, Stats, & NFL Rankings

Kansas City Chiefs wide receiver Xavier Worthy may not be relied on earlier in the season, according to some reports, but he seems to be well on his way to getting more opportunities already. Andy Reid reportedly doesn't like to rely on rookies too heavily to begin a season, but Worthy has drawn praise from the head coach himself as well as his All-Pro quarterback Patrick Mahomes. The superstar signal-caller said he loved Worthy's route running and how he plays with physicality. Those two attributes while catching passes from one of the best to ever throw the ball could equate to some big performances. Worthy has a path to playing time with an inconsistent receiver corps and his cost is low enough in fantasy drafts to be worth a stash for later.

Kansas City Chiefs wide receiver Rashee Rice figures to be someone coming off fairly early in fantasy drafts. However, Rice is reportedly not being taken until sometimes the seventh or eighth round, according to the New York Post. There was some concern about Rice being suspended, but that won't happen this season. That means, fantasy managers in redrafts formats have nothing to worry about with Rice. It doesn't sound like Marquise Brown (shoulder) is going to be ready for the beginning of the season. The loss of Brown should only increase the value of Rice heading into the opener. Last season, Rice saw 102 targets during his rookie season with the team. The team hasn't added much competition, so Rice should remain the favorite wide receiver to quarterback Patrick Mahomes. The Chiefs do have Travis Kelce and Xavier Worthy, but Rice should still be a strong WR2 in basically all fantasy formats.

Kansas City Chiefs head coach Andy Reid said that wide receiver Marquise Brown (shoulder) is the only player not practicing on Sunday. This shouldn't come as much of a surprise, as Reid said earlier this week that the Chiefs aren't expecting Brown to suit up to kick off the 2024 regular season this Thursday night against the Baltimore Ravens. The 27-year-old suffered a shoulder injury in the team's preseason opener and missed the rest of the preseason and training camp. It remains to be seen if he has a shot to make his Chiefs debut in Week 2 against the visiting Cincinnati Bengals, but he'll need to get back on the practice field in some capacity first. Brown is still worth stashing as a WR4/flex with upside in upcoming fantasy drafts, but just know he could miss several weeks to open the season. For however long he's out, more targets will be coming for Rashee Rice, rookie Xavier Worthy, and Justin Watson, among others.

Kansas City Chiefs wide receiver JuJu Smith-Schuster could play in the team's Week 1 contest against the Baltimore Ravens, head coach Andy Reid said. Smith-Schuster was signed out of free agency earlier this week, leaving him with around two weeks to get acclimated in the offense before the season kicks off. That's not a lot of time, but nevertheless, Reid is leaving the door open for Smith-Schuster to play. It likely helps that Smith-Schuster played with the Chiefs in 2022, so at least he has some familiarity with the offense.

Kansas City Chiefs wide receiver JuJu Smith-Schuster and running back Samaje Perine will both be available in the season opener on Thursday evening against the Baltimore Ravens, according to Pete Sweeney of the Arrowhead Pride. Head coach Andy Reid noted that the team would be cautious about overloading Perine during the opener. Both Smith-Schuster and Perine signed with Kansas City earlier this week after hitting free agency. Smith-Schuster played in Kansas City in 2022 and totaled 933 yards on 78 catches that season but struggled in New England last fall. Perine posted a career-high 50 receptions and 455 receiving yards last season in Denver. Perine should be expected to serve as the third-down back throughout the season, while Smith-Schuster will serve as a depth option in the wide receiver room.