Is Kareem Hunt, Elijah Mitchell, or Brashard Smith the RB2 for the Chiefs? Fantasy Football Depth Charts

Is Kareem Hunt, Elijah Mitchell, or Brashard Smith the RB2 for the Kansas City Chiefs? Fantasy football depth chart analysis for the Chiefs, breaking down Kareem Hunt, Elijah Mitchell, or Brashard Smith.

The Kansas City Chiefs' running back situation is interesting to monitor this offseason. During the 2023 season and for the first few games of 2024, it looked like this was 100 percent Isiah Pacheco's backfield. He dominated touches and was the undisputed workhorse.

However, his broken fibula changed things after just a few games last season. The team signed running back Kareem Hunt off the street, and he became the team's bell cow. Even when Pacheco returned, he didn't look great, which is understandable.

But it could be that the Chiefs want to protect Pacheco from potential injury more and are willing to implement a committee backfield. Pacheco is very injury-prone and even missed time with a shoulder injury due to punching an opposing defender out of anger. Not great. So, let's find out—who will be the Chiefs' RB2?

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Kareem Hunt Fantasy Football Outlook

Hunt had a few good games last season. That's true. But I'm just not sure what the team envisions his role being. With Pacheco returning from a leg injury, it made sense for Hunt to spell him at times. Perhaps the Chiefs will maintain a committee backfield, but Hunt wasn't excellent.

Something you didn't know today?

Elijah Mitchell signed for more money than Kareem Hunt did with KC, & they took a rd 7 RB in the draft.

Pacheco seems to be his main competition (sorry Hunt truthers) if we play the "follow the money" game

Yet, dont see much banter for Elijah?

— Sean Mitchell (@smitchell17) April 29, 2025

It's also worth noting that the second player on this list got more money than Hunt did. I understand the moves the Chiefs have made if Hunt is to simply serve as a backup. He had a pretty good success rate on his rushes in Kansas City, but this could have been primarily due to head coach Andy Reid's play calling.

Hunt was just mediocre. He'd take what the defense gave him and was effective at running up the middle through his assigned gaps and hanging on to the ball. But that's about where his upside ends. He doesn't have the speed or burst to rip off long runs and isn't a great pass-catcher.

Kareem Hunt's redemption run was a great story (seriously!), but he had -112 rushing yards over expected last year—second worst in NFL.(His -.57 yards/attempt was 5th worst). Hate to say that doesn't get better with age.

— Matt Conner (@MattConnerAA) April 26, 2025

Hunt NEVER took more than what the defense gave him. He was barely good enough not to be a massive liability for an offense that's one of the most creative in the NFL. That's not a good look. I don't see any way the Chiefs will want to keep giving him the ball.

He was a nice insurance policy, and he signed for incredibly cheap money. Even players who aren't very good can still be valuable as long as they sign for sufficiently low money.

Elijah Mitchell Fantasy Football Outlook

It's not easy to ascertain Mitchell's role in this offense. But he's been a career backup, so keeping that in mind is important. Expecting a running back who NFL teams have known about for years to break out in his fifth season and take on a large role is just not plausible.

That's because it really never happens. You should never bet on the guys who have already been in the league for a long time. If Mitchell had been good enough to be poached, he would have been and signed somewhere for a lot more money.

Seven rookie running backs drafted in Rounds 4-7 or UDFA have posted top-24 fantasy numbers in the last 10 years (PPR per game, min. 8 games)

2024 Bucky Irving (RB19)
2022 Dameon Pierce (RB20)
2021 Elijah Mitchell (RB14)
2020 James Robinson (RB5)
2018 Phillip Lindsay (RB13)
2016…

— Ian Hartitz (@Ihartitz) April 14, 2025

Luckily for us fantasy managers, there's almost always a ton of bias against rookies and in favor of veteran players. So the hype around Mitchell possibly taking over the RB2 job, and potentially challenging Pacheco for the RB1 role, has been in full swing this offseason.

Thankfully, we can cut through the noise. The data on running backs breaking out in their fifth year in the league is nonexistent because it doesn't happen. Over 90 percent of running backs break out within their first five years in the league (source -- Ryan Heath's Age Curves Analysis), and the numbers aren't much better for Year 4, if you want to exclude Mitchell's injured season in 2024.

Teams often bring in competition and insurance policies for their RBs. Mitchell is making just $2.5 million on a one-year deal. He's probably only getting significant work season-long in case of injury, and he'll likely use his veteran experience to help the team while the next player on our list gets acclimated to the offense.

Brashard Smith Fantasy Football Outlook

I'm not sure why people are low on Smith. Sure, he fell to the seventh round of the 2025 NFL Draft, but his upside is so ridiculously massive, and there's a perfect role just waiting for him in Kansas City. We'll start by taking a look at the other running backs.

Pacheco is not a good pass-catcher. Neither is Hunt. Mitchell isn't great in this area either. However, Smith, a converted wide receiver, was easily the best pass-catching RB in this year's draft class. In fact, he had better hands than about half the WR prospects in 2025.

Brashard Smith has -actual- WR skills running slot fade for this catch 🔥

He's also a very elusive running back.

And the most slept on day 3 skill player. https://t.co/wg4dLcvOa5 pic.twitter.com/oKOm90cor2

— ZeeBee (@BellinoZee) April 5, 2025

So, the framework is immediately in place for Smith to have a role as the main pass-catching back for the Chiefs. Usually, it takes time for rookies to get bigger roles in Reid's offenses. Just look at wide receiver Rashee Rice in 2023. From irrelevant to a league-altering pick and great WR2 down the stretch.

Smith will immediately be lethal running routes out of the backfield. He is a nightmare matchup on passing plays for linebackers, because not only is he a good pass-protector (yes, he is, despite the misplaced narrative that RBs under 200 pounds can't block), he is a great route-runner.

SMU RB Brashard Smith with a nice catch pic.twitter.com/HcCEw5QqpI

— SCOUTD (@scoutdnfl) January 29, 2025

Smith is already completely unfair in these matchups, but he also has plenty of rushing value. He's not your typical tackle-breaking back, and his elusiveness in the open field could use some work. But he ran a 4.39-second 40-yard dash. So we know from that and the tape that he's an elite athlete.

I expect him to generate enough PPR fantasy points to be a startable player in redraft leagues by mid-season. He has league-winning potential in this role in a Chiefs offense that could use more production on screens and dump-offs. That's an element that's been missing from their passing attack.

Every Brashard Smith breakaway run (15+yards) from 2024 #NFLDraft2025 pic.twitter.com/UAjbx36rBX

— Ray G (@RayGQue) March 21, 2025

The most valuable RB2s in fantasy football are ALWAYS the ones who can generate explosive plays. Like Miami Dolphins running back De'Von Achane in 2023, if you can handle just a handful of touches and turn them into big production with explosive plays, you can be fantasy dynamite.

Smith is the player you should take among these three backs, and it's not even remotely close. They're miles apart in terms of upside.

Who Should I Draft For Fantasy Football?

Far and away, the answer here is Smith. Though generally, people tend to favor veterans even if they've had poor careers up to this point, highly explosive rookies with proven production in college are great breakout candidates. Many have written off Smith already due to his poor draft capital.

But that's probably not a great idea. There's not much reason to draft Hunt because he was only worth starting in fantasy football when he had a massive workhorse role for the team. And Mitchell has been in the league for a while, but has failed to distinguish himself. Blame injuries if you want, but they're part of the game.

Smith, meanwhile, could win you leagues. Take him everywhere you can, and don't let him go.

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