How to Approach Chiefs Fantasy Football Players with Rashee Rice Returning: Xavier Worthy, Isiah Pacheco and More

I think the Kansas City Chiefs' offense is a fascinating one from a fantasy football perspective, especially with Rashee Rice coming back.

So I decided to write an entire story on it. Let's break down the team's top offensive fantasy players.

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Wide Receiver Fantasy Outlooks

Rice was suspended the first six games of the season, but he was serving as the team's No. 1 wideout before getting hurt in 2024. I expect him to fall right back into that lead role as he ramps up.

It's already being reported that Rice won't be eased back into things either. ESPN's Jeremy Fowler wrote that the Chiefs “will be allocating a heavy workload for him as soon as possible.”

That's a great sign for all the fantasy owners who stashed Rice the first six weeks. He could immediately go back to being a high-end fantasy wideout, and I already have him as a top-20 PPR asset for week 7.

You waited long enough - get him in those starting lineups for week 7. Period.

Xavier Worthy had been functioning as the team's top pass catcher, but was slowed by an early-season injury. He was good in his first game back before a couple of so-so showings - he was bailed out by a touchdown last week.

He's played about 75% of the team's snaps in back-to-back weeks, and that could increase as the season goes on. I discussed him in my panic meter story, but Worthy still was a top-30 wideout for me, but the matchup has a lot to do with that.

The point is that Worthy is no longer a good/strong weekly fantasy starting option. He's still in the conversation for starts, and probably should be starting in average-or-good matchups, but I'd expect more inconsistent fantasy outings with Rice around now.

Now is a time to sell Worthy to see if you can get a bit better option for the long haul. You'll get a similar player in return most likely, but maybe you can find a pass catcher in a bit more favorable situation, or improve a position of need.

After Rice and Worthy, JuJu Smith-Schuster, Marquise Brown and Tyquan Thornton are left to soak up the remaining wideout snaps and production.

If we are going off recent numbers, Brown and Smith-Schuster are the guys to still roster in some fantasy leagues, while Thornton might eventually fade out.

Brown has been more steadily involved offensively this season, so it's no surprise to see him at 60% rostered. Smith-Schuster is at just 11%, while Thornton is at 26%. 

Last week, Thornton only played 17 snaps, while Smith-Schuster was at 40 and Brown 33. Can you see why I think Thornton will eventually fade out of the offense? It honestly could happen as early as this week.

With Rice and Worthy leading the charge, Brown and Smith-Schuster are probably better deep-league assets going forward. I'd definitely only consider starting them in deeper leagues this week, while trying to avoid Thornton.

The wideout snaps and production will be something to watch over the coming weeks, as that will dictate who to own and start in certain leagues.

Running Back Fantasy Outlooks

Isiah Pacheco and Kareem Hunt have mostly been splitting the backfield work for the Chiefs. Rookie Brashard Smith has also gotten involved.

Last week, Pacheco was the clear leader in the backfield, getting 49 snaps and 13 touches. Hunt was at just seven touches over 19 snaps, while Smith logged six snaps and had three touches.

Pacheco and Hunt are still better deep-league fantasy assets, but both are still going to be rostered in a lot of standard leagues because of the offense they play for.

Pacheco is at 88% rostered now, while Hunt sits at 60%. Smith is owned in just 11% of leagues.

I have Pacheco in my top 30 again this week after what transpired last week. He could get back to 100%, and be a better standard league starting option, if he continues to serve as the clear lead back.

Hunt is a deep-league starting option this week, while I'd avoid Smith, unless Pacheco or Hunt is a surprise inactive. 

There's room in this offense for Pacheco and Hunt to both remain involved, even with Rice back, but them splitting the workload also leads to lower fantasy ceilings, and that's what leads to them being better deep-league assets.

The backfield workload and production is another area to keep an eye on over the coming weeks. It's honestly probably something that you'll need to keep watching for the remainder of the season, as things will change week to week.

Tight End Fantasy Outlooks

Travis Kelce is clearly the team's top tight end yet, but Noah Gray also played enough for fantasy relevance.

Kelce has three straight games in double digits as a fantasy asset, so he's on the rise. Unfortunately, the return of Rice knocks him back down a couple pegs. That doesn't mean you should avoid him in fantasy though.

I still have Kelce as my No. 5 fantasy TE for week 7. His ceiling might be a bit lower now, but at a weak fantasy spot, most are still going to trust the veteran to deliver here and there.

I see inconsistent showings in his future, so if you could move Kelce on his big name for a more startable fantasy tight end, I'd definitely consider that move. If you want to hold him, don't be expecting top-10 finishes at the position every week, but instead highs and lows the rest of the season.

While Gray has played 238 snaps on the season, he only has 47 yards on eight catches and 15 targets. He had stretches in the past where he was a usable fantasy asset, and I don't want to write him off for good quite yet.

He hasn't delivered enough for any fantasy usage right now, but he's a couple decent showings from getting back to that level. Really, an injury is what could help him back to fantasy relevance, and it might need to be Kelce that goes down.

Anyways, he's a name to keep an eye on, but Kelce is the KC fantasy TE to own and play right now. Again, I'd try throwing him on the trade block to see what kind of offers trickle in, otherwise expect some up-and-down showings from him the rest of the season.

Patrick Mahomes Fantasy Outlook

Mahomes had underperformed for a couple years leading into this year, but he's bounced back and been a top-end fantasy QB in the early going.

Getting Rice back is another positive in Mahomes' favor, and makes him that much more likely to remain a top-end QB the rest of the season. He's got a great chance to at least finish in the top five.

Mahomes has excelled as both a passer and runner this season. He might end up running a bit less the rest of the way if Rice can alleviate the need for him to scramble - that could just lead to more passing yards though, so I'm not worried about it hurting Mahomes as a fantasy asset.

Mahomes is an auto-start in fantasy this season, and only an injury could likely derail what's been a great season for him.

He ranks No. 2 for me in week 7, and should be a top-five option most weeks for the rest of the season. Get him in a starting spot and don't move him until his bye week hits.