Kansas City Chiefs WR Rashee Rice is the single best pick remaining in fantasy football drafts, but there's not much time left to take advantage of his surging value.
Following Thursday's statement from the NFL that the league would wait until Rice's legal case played out before initiating a suspension, it appears the second-year wideout will be available for the entire 2024 season barring an unforeseen development.
He's currently being drafted as the WR32 and 72nd player overall according to FantasyPros' average draft position (ADP) data (more on what ADP means and how to use it in fantasy football here). That ADP only makes sense if fantasy football players are worried about a looming suspension. Since one isn't coming until 2025, that makes Rice a slam-dunk value and a true league-winning pick.
Rashee Rice is the Best Remaining Value in Fantasy Football Drafts
Rice didn't become fully ingratiated into Kansas City's offense until roughly the midway point of the season. From Weeks 11-17 (Rice didn't play in Week 18), he was the WR9 in PPR leagues, ahead of bigger names like DJ Moore, Davante Adams, DeVonta Smith, and Cooper Kupp.
He had over 17 fantasy points four times in that seven-game stretch, so Rice had consistent volume driving his ranking instead of just one or two massive games. The former SMU star stayed hot in the playoffs too, averaging 14.5 points per contest despite facing much harder defenses.
Despite the Chiefs' offseason additions of speedsters Marquise "Hollywood" Brown, who is dealing with an injury to start the year, and Xavier Worthy, Rice remains the undisputed No. 1 wide receiver for Patrick Mahomes. If anything, Brown and Worthy's ability to stretch the defense vertically should open up space for Rice's trademark drag routes underneath over the middle of the field.
When drafting an alpha receiver, you're looking for volume and scoring opportunities. From Weeks 11-17, Rice averaged over nine targets per game (with 9-plus in five of those contests) and caught eight of 11 red-zone targets en route to three TDs. He was targeted more heavily in the red zone than even Travis Kelce, who secured four of his eight red-zone targets in that stretch.
Rice's profile is that of a top-15 WR with the potential to finish in the top eight. Instead, you can draft him in the fifth or even sixth round, outside of the top 30 players at the position. Players consistently improve after their first year in the league as well, so it's reasonable to think that Rice is an even better player than he was last season.
It's rare that you have the chance to draft a top-10 scoring WR with a proven track record, an MVP QB and unreached potential outside of the top 30 receivers. Rice is the player that fantasy footballers can't leave drafts without. He should be selected near the end of the third round and no later than the fourth.
Looking for more preparation for your draft? SI has you covered with everything you need in our 2024 fantasy football draft kit.
This article was originally published on www.si.com as Rashee Rice Fantasy Outlook Skyrocketing After Latest Suspension Update.
