Which Chiefs' Pass Catchers have the Best Fantasy Football Outlooks? Rashee Rice, Xavier Worthy, Travis Kelce and More

Let's knock off a second fantasy football outlook today and check out the Kansas City Chiefs.

We looked at the Steelers, Packers, Titans and Panthers so far, and will cover other teams in the days and weeks to come.

Wish a real fantasy expert could break down your team, not just spit out generic advice? Now you can - get a personalized Team Breakdown, tailored for your exact league.

Patrick Mahomes Fantasy Outlook

Mahomes is back for another season as the KC starter. He's been a bit underwhelming over the past couple seasons, but is still a top-end fantasy QB.

He is QB6 and going near pick 54 so far. Last season, he was QB12 overall.

Mahomes had 3,928 yards, 26 touchdowns and 11 interceptions as a passer in 2024. He added 307 yards and two scores on the ground. Mahomes played in 16 regular season games.

It's all about more Super Bowl titles now for Mahomes and the Chiefs. What it has meant over the past couple seasons is scaled back numbers for Mahomes.

I really don't like the idea of drafting Mahomes around his ADP. There's more valuable running backs, wide receivers and tight ends you could be landing instead, and you can land similar-level QBs later on.

He's being overhyped because of his big name. Skip him and you'll thank me after the season. Even if Mahomes goes off, he might not be able to outperform his ADP.

Running Back Fantasy Outlook

Isiah Pacheco is still the team's lead back - at least we all think he is. Kareem Hunt is a more-than-capable backup option and Elijah Mitchell and rookie Brashard Mitchell could also factor in this season.

Pacheco is RB28 and going near pick 66 on average so far. He produced just 389 total yards and a score over seven games last season.

Injuries have been an issue for Pacheco the past two seasons. He was a good fantasy asset in 2024, but definitely regressed in his time on the field last season. That's causing some concerns going into 2025.

I like his ADP right now, and wouldn't mind spending a middle-round pick on the Chiefs' top back. He's got a great chance at outperforming that mark if he's healthy all season, but just know there's some risk involved with him. He's a good third or fourth fantasy back for this season and could become a weekly starter if everything goes right for him.

Hunt racked up 904 yards and seven scores over 13 games last season. He took over the backfield after the Pacheco injury and should remain at least somewhat involved this season.

Hunt is RB57 and going around pick 175 so far. I think it's justified to consider Hunt late in a standard league draft, but he's more of a stash-and-hope player than someone you can count on right away. It would take a Pacheco injury to thrust him into the lead back role, and I'm not sure the team will utilize Pacheco and Hunt enough to make them even flex-start worthy.

In deeper leagues, stashing Hunt makes a ton of sense. Getting him after you got Pacheco earlier makes even more sense. These two should be looked at as more secondary running back options, not a pair that will power a fantasy team in 2025.

If Pacheco or Hunt go down with an injury, then Mitchell should get some offensive involvement. It's also possible he's cut to make way for Smith.

Only look into drafting Mitchell or Smith in really deep redraft leagues though. Neither are going to be all that involved early on, and it'd take injuries or massive struggles from Pacheco or Hunt to get them into the mix. There's better third and fourth backs on teams available.

Wide Receiver Fantasy Outlook

Rashee Rice, Xavier Worthy and Marquise Brown are the projected wide receiver starters for the Chiefs. JuJu Smith-Schuster, Nikko Remigio and rookie Jalen Royals are some backup options.

Rice is the top KC wideout being taken so far. He's WR23 and going around pick 51 on average. 

Rice only got in four games last season before suffering a big-time injury. He had 289 yards and two scores before being ruled out for the season.

He's back on the field now, but could face a suspension from the NFL. There's talk of him being suspended between four-six games, which would obviously be a blow to his fantasy value.

If you are drafting soon and still don't have a verdict on his suspension, Rice is a very risky pick near his ADP. I'd prefer to skip him and look elsewhere. If you can stash him until his return, he could be a major boost to your title chances, so there's reasons to also be intrigued in drafting him.

A guy you could turn to instead is Worthy, who is WR25 and going at pick 59. He's a much safer pick, in case Rice does get suspended.

Worthy had 742 yards and nine scores over 17 games in his rookie season. His touchdown total was good, but the yardage was relatively underwhelming considering Rice was out and nobody else was really standing out.

Worthy could really excel with a guy like Rice on the other side of the field. That could mean he struggles a bit to start the season, but turns things on after a possible Rice suspension.

Again though, I like Worthy near his ADP more than Rice at his. We'll likely get clarification on things as the season nears, and will update you on how to proceed when that time comes.

Brown is WR59 and is going around pick 163. That puts him near the end of some standard league drafts.

He played just two regular season games last season, tallying 91 yards in those contests. Brown was a big part of the Ravens' offense early in his career, but hasn't really gotten going in stops with Arizona or Kansas City yet.

Now that he's healthy again, there's a chance he could jumpstart his career in KC. He'll likely be the third option in the wideout room if Rice and Worthy are out there, and maybe an even lower option when you factor in some other pass catchers.

If you are drafting now though, Brown is a sneaky good pick in case Rice is suspended. That could make Brown a flex option until that suspension is over, and even four-six weeks of that kind of player is hard to come by late in a standard league draft. He's a better option the deeper a league gets and likely won't be startable if every KC playmaker is healthy.

Royals is WR75 and is going around pick 245 on average. Smith-Schuster is WR96 and is going around pick 308.

Both are just deep-league assets to kick off the season, even if Rice ends up suspended. I could see either becoming a waiver wire target if they take off early in the season, but at full health, Royals and Smith-Schuster are just secondary options in the passing game. Royals could supplant Brown in time, but I'm not so sure that happens this coming season unless injuries are involved.

Tight End Fantasy Outlook

Travis Kelce is still around to lead the Kansas City tight end room. Noah Gray flashed some potential as well last season.

Kelce is TE5 and is going around pick 62 so far. He finished fifth overall last season at the position.

Kelce had 824 yards and three scores over 16 games last season. It was his second straight down season, and the days of him being an elite fantasy TE are probably a thing of the past.

At the weaker fantasy spot though, Kelce is still one of the top options. Like Mahomes, I think Kelce is probably going too early in fantasy drafts, and that there's better options to target around that pick.

If you hit on running backs and wideouts you like in the first several rounds though, then that's when you can target a tight end, and the veteran Kelce is still a good option. I still like getting him a round or more later than his current ADP.

Gray is TE33 and is going around pick 278. 

He tallied 433 yards and five scores a season ago. A lot of people might see something similar happening in 2025, but his ADP should say it all.

Gray will still be somewhat involved offensively, but at full strength, Gray is still going to likely be the weakest option on the field at all times. He's fine to pick up later in deeper drafts, especially if you took Kelce earlier. 

Gray isn't likely to be a starting option ever, unless there's a flood of injuries again.