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Is Jalen Royals starting for the Chiefs in fantasy football? Should I Draft Royals in 2025? Read the rookie fantasy football outlook and depth chart analysis.
The Kansas City Chiefs drafted a new playmaker for Patrick Mahomes to incorporate into the offense, and with Rashee Rice (suspension) out early in the season, the rookie will get a chance to make a splash right out of the gate. The Chiefs' passing offense is among the best in the NFL, and coach Andy Reid always does a great job getting the ball in his playmakers' hands. The team has also boldly played rookies in the past, giving players a chance to contribute right away.
In the fourth round of this year's draft, the Chiefs selected Jalen Royals out of Utah State. He drew comparisons to Rice coming into the draft for his dynamic playmaking, especially after the catch, and his deep speed.
Coming into week 1, is Jalen Royals lined up for a starting role with the Chiefs, and how should fantasy football managers deal with his new role with his new squad? Let's dive in and break it down.
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Is Jalen Royals Starting for the Chiefs?
Royals came into camp behind established receiver options Xavier Worthy, Marquise Brown, and Rice. He was competing for playing time with JuJu Smith-Schuster. Rice's suspension does potentially open a little bit of playing time, but unfortunately, Royals is also dealing with an injury of his own. He hasn't been able to practice and missed the preseason finale with knee tendinitis.
Royals will likely still not start for the Chiefs in their Week 1 opener on Friday, September 5, against the Chargers in Brazil, but he could be involved early in the season if he can shake off his knee issue.
His profile fits Rice's as the most direct replacement, but the poorly timed injury could push back his development. Even if he does get back in time for Week 1, the missed practice time could result in a smaller role out of the gate.
He’s banged up currently, but a name to watch in Kansas City during Rashee Rice’s suspension is rookie Jalen Royals.
Tyquan Thornton is another name who has had an exceptional summer. https://t.co/SIwn8LsqLm
— Jordan Schultz (@Schultz_Report) August 27, 2025
Jalen Royals Fantasy Football Outlook
Royals racked up over 1,000 yards in his Junior season for Utah State and scored 15 touchdowns. He was limited by a foot injury to just seven games in 2024 but still posted 834 yards and six touchdowns on 55 grabs. He looked great at the NFL Combine and has the potential to be a steal for the Chiefs if he can develop and sharpen his route-running.
Out of 432 draft-eligible D1 prospects, Jalen Royals was:
+ 2nd in receiving yards per game
+ 5th in yards after contact per catch (minimum 600 yards)
+ Top 10 in yards per route runShocked he made it out of Day 2. And to the CHIEFS. pic.twitter.com/isMVLYKdxn
— Brady Balhorn - BNB Football (@BnbFootball) April 26, 2025
Royals has the raw skillset to make an impact, and with Rice out six games, he should get opportunities to make plays. Royals isn't the only possible answer the Chiefs have, though, and his injury to start the year does add to his risk since we haven't seen him quite as much in preseason.
Should I Draft Jalen Royals?
Another name that has made a splash and could steal work from Royals down the road is former Patriots receiver Tyquan Thornton. Both Thornton and Royals are available very late in drafts and are worth a dart throw in deep leagues since one of them could end up emerging as a key option in a high-scoring offense.
In NFFC drafts, Royals is currently WR88, and Thornton is even lower at WR141. If both are available, Royals has more long-term upside, so he can be a late-round pick to round out your roster to see if he takes off. When Rice returns, though, there may not be enough targets to keep him fantasy viable for the heart of the season, barring other injuries to the receiver room, of course.
For most standard-sized leagues, Royals is a "wait and see" for me at this point, but he's definitely a rookie receiver I'll be watching in the early going to see how the Chiefs plan on filling in for Rice. If you're in deep leagues and need to stash Royals with a late-round draft pick, that strategy could pay off if he can shake off his tendinitis and get back in practice with Mahomes.
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