Is Rashee Rice A Good Fit For The Chiefs? Fantasy Football Outlook

May 1, 2023

Did the Kansas City Chiefs draft Rashee Rice? Is Rice a good fit for the Chiefs? What will Rice do for your fantasy football team this year?

Former SMU wide receiver Rashee Rice had a monster season as a senior. He ranked third in the NCAA with 1,355 receiving yards. The Kansas City Chiefs traded up to draft him in the second round at pick No. 55.

But why was Rice playing college football as a senior? Most top receiver prospects enter the draft as a junior.

Also, is Rice even a good fit with the Kansas City Chiefs? Fantasy managers have gotten excited about rookie Chiefs receivers drafted in the mid-50s before, and it hasn't always worked out. Let's jump into the analysis.

What Did Rashee Rice Accomplish At SMU?

My guess as to why Rice chose to return to SMU for his senior year (and why he didn't get recruited by a top football school) is because of concerns about his athleticism. He ran a 4.51 40-yard dash, but he did have a lot of air in the vertical jump, getting up 41 inches.

Rice also didn't shine in his junior year. He caught 48 passes for 683 yards as a sophomore, but he didn't build on that. He caught 64 passes for just 670 yards as a junior.

His senior year, however, was off the charts. He caught 96 passes for 1,355 yards and 10 touchdowns. All of those stat lines were good for second-most in the American conference. He was only behind a receiver who got drafted one round later than him: Nathaniel "Tank" Dell of Houston. The 6-1 Rice is five inches taller and about thirty pounds heavier than Tank.

Is Rashee Rice A Good Fit For The Chiefs?

Usually, when a talented young receiver gets matched up with an elite quarterback, you get excited about their fantasy football potential.  A receiver landing with Patrick Mahomes and the Kansas City Chiefs might be the one exception to that rule. Yes, the Chiefs led the league with 288.9 passing yards per game last season. But they distributed those yards to three or four receivers and a Hall of Fame caliber tight end.

Travis Kelce is the No. 1 WR in Kansas City. Rice is listed as the WR4 on ESPN's depth chart, behind Skyy Moore, but he could rise if he outplays Moore and Kadarius Toney.

Still, it is unlikely Rice will put up WR1 numbers. Last season, the Chiefs had eight pass catchers with over 200 receiving yards but only two with over 700 receiving yards.

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