One of the more remarkable aspects of the Kansas City Chiefs winning back-to-back Super Bowls is that the team hasn’t had a wide receiver reach the 1,000-yard mark since they traded Tyreek Hill to the Miami Dolphins before the 2022 season. That year, JuJu Smith-Schuster, now with the New England Patriots, led the club with 933; last year it was Rashee Rice (938). Beyond that, only current Buffalo Bills WR Marquez Valdes-Scantling has even topped 500 yards the past two years.
Kansas City’s struggles at the position haven’t been from a lack of effort as they’ve used premium picks on Rice, Skyy Moore, and Xavier Worthy, signed veteran free agents (Smith-Schuster and Marquise Brown), and traded for Kadarius Toney and Mecole Hardman. On paper, this year’s group looks the best it has since Hill was traded with a deep mix of talent around quarterback Patrick Mahomes.
What does that mean for fantasy owners? Let’s dive in.
Rashee Rice
On the field, Rice enjoyed an excellent rookie season. He finished with 79 receptions, 938 yards, and seven touchdowns. Those are solid numbers, but it was his involvement that portends bigger things in the future as he was targeted 56 times in the final six weeks. The then-rookie added 33 looks during KC’s Super Bowl run as well. Based on that, Rice appeared ready to become WR1 for the Chiefs …
… and then he was involved in a high-speed accident during the offseason that led to him being charged with eight counts. The NFL has yet to hand down discipline for the incident, but it’s likely a matter of when, not if, the second-year receiver is suspended. Reports suggest the team is prepared for Rice to miss roughly half of the upcoming season, though that remains purely speculative.
Marquise Brown
A former first-round pick and 1,000-yard receiver with the Baltimore Ravens, Brown authored a pair of forgettable campaigns for the Arizona Cardinals, including a 51-574-4 effort last year while missing three games with a heel injury. After reuniting with college teammate QB Kyler Murray didn’t pan out, Brown hopes signing a one-year deal with KC will help reset his market in 2025, like it did for Smith-Schuster.
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Brown has legitimate deep speed, and he should give the club a more dangerous downfield threat than Valdes-Scantling, who was inconsistent in his time with the Chiefs.
Xavier Worthy
With Moore and Toney failing to show much development since joining Kansas City, the club spent its first-round pick this April on Worthy. Undersized at 5-foot-11, 165 pounds, he boasts record-setting speed, blazing the 40-yard dash in 4.21 seconds prior to the draft.
He’s similar athletically to Brown, which makes you wonder if the Chiefs consider him more as a replacement in 2025 versus a regular contributor this fall. Worthy has been thrown into the fire this offseason, though debatable whether the club is okay putting two such undersized wideouts on the field together with any regularity.
Skyy Moore, Kadarius Toney, Mecole Hardman and Justin Watson
The lower half of the depth chart is filled with familiar names. Moore, a second-round pick in 2022, showed imperceptible growth in Year 2. Toney, who opened last season as the nominal No. 1 receiver, endured a brutal showing in a Week 1 loss and never seemed to recover. The Florida product also has struggled to stay healthy. The Chiefs declined Toney’s fifth-year option, and it’s not unreasonable to think Moore and/or Toney have played their last snap in KC.
Hardman, who spent his first four years with the Chiefs, was reacquired inseason from the New York Jets and wound up catching the game-winning touchdown in the Super Bowl. Watson isn’t flashy, but he has good size, is durable, and has been a reliable fallback for Mahomes, which has value. Of the four receivers here, Watson appears the most likely to contribute in 2024.
Fantasy football outlook
An ascending talent, Rice’s value is muddied by the likelihood of an incoming suspension. Once we know how long, adjustments can be made. For now, he’s worth taking as a midrange WR3.
Brown, meanwhile, would be an interesting selection as your fourth receiver, and his value could increase based on the duration of Rice’s suspension.
The path to fantasy value for Worthy isn’t as clear as Rice or Brown. The rookie needs to show he’s ready for regular work. Still, there’s upside based on that speed and the presence of Mahomes. Just don’t view him as more than a WR5. Beyond that, we’re talking real long shots to deliver appreciable fantasy value in an aerial offense that still flows through tight end Travis Kelce.
