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Will Rashee Rice play in Week 1, or play at all in 2025 for the Chiefs? Joey's latest Rashee Rice fantasy football outlook and injury update for Week 1.
Many fantasy football managers were worried about a potential suspension for Kansas City Chiefs wide receiver Rashee Rice dating back to last season. The 25-year-old was involved in a multi-car crash in Dallas back on March 30, 2024. Rice was driving at an extremely high speed in his Lamborghini, which resulted in the accident.
However, Rice did not get suspended at any point during the 2024 season. That meant that a suspension was likely headed the wideout's way at some point in 2025.
So, will Rice be available before the season begins? Will Rice play in Week 1 or at all in 2025? Let's take a look at the latest updates and fantasy football outlook.
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Will Rashee Rice Play in Week 1?
With Rice's disciplinary hearing set to take place on September 30, 2025, the expectation was that he would be able to play the first few weeks of the season. The NFL wasn't going to give him any type of suspension until his hearing took place. So, the Chiefs were going to have their star wide receiver for at least the first four weeks.
However, the hearing at the end of September will not take place after all. Rice decided to accept a six-game suspension from the NFL before his hearing on September 30. As a result, his six-game suspension will take place immediately.
Rashee Rice will serve a six-game suspension for violating the NFL’s personal conduct policy, per @TomPelissero
Chiefs WR1 will be eligible to return in Week 7 pic.twitter.com/GcIxkL2IbH
— Bleacher Report (@BleacherReport) August 27, 2025
That means Rice will not be active for Week 1 and will miss the Chiefs' season opener against the Los Angeles Chargers at Corinthians Arena in Sao Paulo, Brazil. We should expect Travis Kelce, Marquise Brown, and Xavier Worthy to all see more opportunities in this game, with the 25-year-old currently on the suspended list.
Will Rashee Rice Play in 2025?
Although Rice is on the suspended list and will miss the first six weeks of the season, he will play in 2025. The former SMU star is eligible to return in Week 7 against the Las Vegas Raiders. He will then be allowed to play the rest of the season for the Kansas City Chiefs from Week 7 onward, including in the 2025-26 NFL playoffs.
Mahomes' first TD pass of the game ‼️
Stream on @NFLPlus pic.twitter.com/znmFFTspXt
— NFL (@NFL) August 23, 2025
It'll be interesting to see how Rice actually plays once he's on the field. He will obviously miss the first six weeks due to that suspension and is also coming back from a season-ending injury in 2024. The explosive playmaker tore his LCL in a Week 4 game last season, which caused him to miss the rest of the year.
Reports out of training camp, though, suggest that Rice is fully healthy following his season-ending injury. So, the 6-foot-1 wide receiver should have a major role in this Kansas City offense once he is officially activated from the suspended list ahead of Week 7.
Rashee Rice Fantasy Football Outlook
Rice was one of the biggest fantasy risks in drafts this summer. He was always going to be suspended by the league, yet he still found himself going in the fifth or sixth round of drafts. Even when he was officially suspended for the first six weeks, fantasy managers still wanted to take him around the sixth round.
That's because Rice has a massive fantasy ceiling in this Chiefs offense. In his three games before injury last year, he averaged 21.6 PPR fantasy points per game. When the 25-year-old is on the field, he has emerged as Patrick Mahomes' go-to target in the passing game. Therefore, he will be a solid WR1 option for fantasy managers once he returns to the field in Week 7.
Opening drive touchdown for Rashee Rice and the Chiefs!#MIAvsKC on Peacock
Also available on #NFLPlus https://t.co/bTakd7vjlv pic.twitter.com/VwS7YRk2Yg— NFL (@NFL) January 14, 2024
Dating back to Week 12 of his rookie season (2023), Rice has averaged 19.5 PPR fantasy points across his last nine games. Those fantasy numbers put him alongside superstars like Justin Jefferson, CeeDee Lamb, and Nico Collins. While you will be without him for the first six weeks, he will help you when it matters most.
Who Should I Draft Tool
Not sure whether to draft Rashee Rice? Use the Who Should I Draft tool:
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Popular Draft Searches. Curious to see some tough draft decisions for 2025? Below you will find a list of some popular Who Should I Draft? searches that RotoBaller readers are looking at this week. Click any of the links to see the result and recommendation.
Popular Player Comparison Searches - Who To Draft
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