Kansas City Chiefs DVOA, Stats, & NFL Rankings

Minnesota Vikings tight end Robert Tonyan (back) remains sidelined with back spasms and hasn't been able to suit up for either of the team's two preseason games. Tonyan first experienced the spasms on July 31 and hasn't been able to practice since then. The initial hope was that he'd be back in time for one of their first two preseason contests, but that hasn't been the case. With T.J. Hockenson (knee) still on the PUP list, Tonyan was brought in to be a depth option alongside Josh Oliver and Johnny Mundt. If he can't get back on the field soon, he may slip all the way down the depth chart and when Hockenson returns, there's not going to be nearly as many fantasy opportunities for the veteran tight end.

According to Las Vegas Raiders head coach Antonio Pierce, quarterback Gardner Minshew II will start in Week 1 versus the Chargers. Aidan O'Connell was the presumed starter at one point. Yet, Minshew did enough throughout camp and the preseason to claim the top spot on the depth chart. The 28-year-old has had mixed results from a production standpoint over the years, throwing for 9,937 yards, 59 touchdowns, and 24 picks with the Jaguars, Eagles, and Colts. This could be Minshew's last chance to earn a starting job, with O'Connell potentially entering the equation if things get out of hand. However, neither signal-caller should be considered a top fantasy quarterback entering the 2024-25 campaign, despite having Davante Adams in their arsenal.

Kansas City Chiefs quarterback Patrick Mahomes looked sharp again in Saturday evening's preseason defeat to the visiting Detroit Lions at Arrowhead Stadium, completing eight of his 14 passes for 93 yards in the loss. Perhaps Mahomes' most noteworthy play of the day on Saturday against Detroit came when he flipped a pretty eight-yard pass behind his back to top target Travis Kelce during the first quarter. This might have been it for the six-time Pro Bowler and two-time MVP as it pertains to exhibition action this summer, but KC's first-team offense may get one more chance to tune things up in Thursday's preseason finale against the Chicago Bears. Mahomes had a down 2023 regular season for the defending-champion Chiefs and is now likely to be without veteran wideout Marquise Brown (shoulder) for the start of 2024, but he remains a cinch top-tier QB1 in fantasy drafts as arguably football's most dominant player.

Kansas City Chiefs wide receiver Rashee Rice put together a productive outing in Saturday evening's preseason loss to the visiting Detroit Lions at Arrowhead Stadium, reeling in four of his five targets for 35 yards in the defeat. Rice's longest gain of the game came on a 14-yard short pass from quarterback Patrick Mahomes in the first quarter on third down to keep an eventual scoring drive alive on Saturday against the Lions. The star second-year slot receiver is seeing his fantasy ADP come surging upward in recent weeks, as there remains no real clarity on whether or not he'll be suspended due to off-field incidents earlier this offseason. As it stands, it's looking more and more likely that Rice will begin the season as Mahomes' clear-cut top wideout with Marquise Brown (shoulder) sidelined, and he should at least be a midrange WR2 bet when available this year.

Kansas City Chiefs wide receiver Xavier Worthy made a big impact in Saturday evening's preseason loss to the visiting Detroit Lions at Arrowhead Stadium, catching three of his six targets for 62 yards and a touchdown in the defeat. Worthy added an 11-yard carry on Saturday against the Lions, with his score coming on a 22-yard reception from backup quarterback Carson Wentz in the first quarter. This was the kind of showing the Chiefs and fantasy managers were hoping to see out of the 21-year-old rookie first-rounder out of Texas, who stepped up in the absence of veteran wideout Marquise Brown (shoulder) and is looking at a more pronounced role in KC's passing game to begin the season. Set to be QB Patrick Mahomes' primary deep threat in the early going, Worthy is a high-ceiling WR3/flex pick in the middle rounds of drafts.