X
Lost password?

Don't have an account?
Gain Access Now

X

Receive free daily analysis

NFL
NBA
NHL
NASCAR
CFB
MLB
MMA
PGA
ESPORTS
BETTING

Already have an account? Log In

X

Forgot Password


POPULAR FANTASY TOOLS

Expert Advice
Articles & Tools
Import Your Leagues
Draft Rankings
Draft Simulator
Enter League Settings
Value Picks
Compare Any Players
News and Alerts

Kansas City Chiefs Fantasy Football Team Preview - QB, RB, WR, TE Outlooks

Isiah Pacheco - Fantasy Football Rankings, Draft Sleepers, NFL Rookies

Rob's 2024 fantasy football team preview for the Kansas City Chiefs. Read about fantasy football values, sleepers, rookies and starters at QB, RB, WR and TE.

Welcome to my 2024 fantasy football preview for the Kansas City Chiefs as part of my team-by-team fantasy football outlooks series. This new 32-part series will dissect each NFL team through a fantasy football lens. We'll look at each of the four primary positions—quarterback, running back, wide receiver, and tight end—and identify each player's value at their current ADP. Through this series, we'll also recognize players fantasy managers should avoid and target at their current ADP.

The Chiefs routinely have one of the best offenses in the NFL, and that'll happen when your quarterback is Patrick Mahomes. This offseason, they've also added two high-level receivers, Marquise Brown and Xavier Worthy, who will help give this offense more speed and explosiveness, which it lacked last season. Rashee Rice's pending suspension is one fantasy managers must track, but Isiah Pacheco and Travis Kelce are primed to be elite fantasy assets again this season.

There are so many places fantasy managers can find ADP rankings, all of which differ to some extent. Be sure to bookmark our fantasy football ADP page for the latest industry consensus ADPs. If you want to invest in your fantasy football leagues, consider subscribing to our Premium account. Our Premium tools can help you dominate your fantasy leagues. If you'd like to purchase our Premium tools at RotoBaller, use promo code "BOOM" at checkout for a 10% discount.

Be sure to check all of our fantasy football rankings for 2025:

 

Fantasy Football Team Previews

NFC West AFC West NFC South AFC South NFC East AFC East NFC North AFC North
Rams Broncos Saints Colts Cowboys Jets Lions Browns
Seahawks Chargers Buccaneers Titans Giants Patriots Bears Ravens
49ers Raiders Panthers Jaguars Commanders Bills Vikings Bengals
Cardinals Chiefs Falcons Texans Eagles Dolphins Packers Steelers

 

Fantasy Football Quarterback Outlook

Patrick Mahomes: QB3, ADP 36

From 2018 to 2022, Mahomes had a 6.5% touchdown rate and an 8.1 yard per attempt (YPA) average. In 2023, he finished with a 4.5% touchdown rate and a 7.0 YPA average, both career lows. In fact, his lowest touchdown rate before 2023 was 5.4%, and his lowest YPA was 7.4.

If Mahomes had just performed at his worst level before 2023, he would’ve had an extra five touchdowns and 235 yards. That would’ve added 29.4 fantasy points to his total or around 1.8 PPG. Had Mahomes performed at his 2018-2022 career average, he would’ve had 12 more touchdowns and 653 yards. This would’ve added 74.1 fantasy points, or 4.6 PPG, to his total. 4.6 more PPG would’ve taken Mahomes’ 2023 PPG average of 18.4 to 23.0, which would’ve been right in line with QB2 Jalen Hurts (23.1).

Last year, his starting receivers in Week 1 were Kadarius Toney, Skyy Moore, and Marquez Valdes-Scantling. This year, it’ll be Rashee Rice (possible suspension), Xavier Worthy, and Marquise Brown. In five seasons, Toney and Moore have combined for 1,254 yards and four touchdowns in 62 games. In Hollywood’s last two seasons, he had 1,283 yards and seven touchdowns in 26 games.

In 2023, MVS played 618 snaps, while Rice played 622. Rice had 102 targets, 79 receptions, 938 yards, and seven touchdowns, while MVS had 42 targets, 21 receptions, 315 yards, and one touchdown. We haven’t even touched on first-round pick Xavier Worthy yet. Yeah, we’re buying Patrick Mahomes.

Verdict: Buy Patrick Mahomes

 

Fantasy Football Running Back Outlook

Isiah Pacheco: RB13, ADP 39

Pacheco didn’t get the start in Week 1 due to an offseason wrist injury. Excluding Week 1 and adding their four playoff games, Pacheco played 17 total games last season. He finished with 278 carries, 1,225 yards, and 10 rushing touchdowns. He also had 57 targets, 52 receptions, 273 yards, and two touchdowns. That equates to a 14.57 half-PPR PPG average. Last year that would’ve been the RB8, yet he’s being drafted as the RB13. It gets even better, though!

From Weeks 1-8, Pacheco averaged 3.4 targets and 3.0 receptions per game. Over 17 games, that would equal 57 targets and 51 receptions. However, his averages increased from Weeks 9-17 to 3.7 targets per game and 3.3 receptions. That would be 62 targets and 57 receptions over 17 games. The best part is that it wasn’t just variance. In Weeks 1-8, Pacheco did not have a single game with a route participation rate over 35%. He had five in Weeks 9-17, and what happened in three games where Jerick McKinnon didn’t play was even better.

McKinnon is currently a free agent, and the backup is Clyde Edwards-Helaire. Fantasy managers should expect Pacheco in a true three-down role in 2024. Edwards-Helaire will be a change of pace back to give Pacheco a breather, but he’s unlikely to vulture any high-value touches, such as targets and goal-line carries. This makes Pacheco one of the better bargains in the earlier rounds. He has true top-10 potential, and it’s not out of the question that he finishes top-five.

Verdict: Buy Isiah Pacheco

 

Fantasy Football Wide Receiver Outlook

Marquise Brown: WR36, ADP 69
Rashee Rice: WR39, ADP 80
Xavier Worthy: WR41, ADP 83

Fantasy managers have likely taken the concerns regarding a possible (likely) Rice suspension too far. From Weeks 12-Super Bowl, Rice averaged 13.7 half-PPR PPG. In those 10 games, Rice had 89 targets, 69 receptions, 780 yards, and four touchdowns. Using his per-game averages from these 10 contests, Rice was on pace for 159 targets, 117 receptions, 1,326 yards, and 7 touchdowns. His 13.7 half-PPR PPG average would have placed him as the WR13 for the 2023 season. From Weeks 12-17, Rice finished as the weekly WR4, WR26, WR12, WR10, WR38, and WR16.

Once we get into round seven, how many players possess the kind of upside that Rice displayed over the final 10 games of the Chiefs’ season? The answer is not many. While I think it’s fair to expect a 4-8 game suspension, likely landing around six, the seventh round often consists of your flex-level players. Such a player can easily be replaced with later picks or waiver wire additions. In that sense, waiting for Rice’s top-20 upside for six games is easy.

Brown has shown the ability to earn targets. From 2021-2023, he is averaging 8.4 targets per game, equating to 143 over 17 games. He has struggled with efficiency in Arizona for the last two years, but he’s also been hampered by injuries to himself and quarterback Kyler Murray. However, his best fantasy finishes in half-PPR PPG were WR23 (2021) and WR25 (2022). Now entering his sixth season in the NFL, it’s fair to say he is who he is now.

That’s not to say he can’t outplay his current WR36 ADP ranking, but it’s not likely to be significantly so. Quarterbacks like Dak Prescott, Joe Burrow, Jordan Love, and Kyler Murray are all going after Brown. Diontae Johnson is sure to have more targets than Brown this season. While Brown’s price isn’t terrible, there are certainly other players on the board I’d prefer. You can even make a strong case that Christian Watson at WR42, with an ADP of 89, is getting more bang for your buck than Brown.

Much like Brown, Worthy’s price isn’t outrageous. However, it’s hard to imagine a rookie receiver with the kind of target competition he has in Brown, Rice, and Travis Kelce emerging as a consistent fantasy weapon. When Rice is suspended, I suspect Kelce will be the clear No. 1 target, Brown the No. 2, and Worthy the No. 3.

Once Rice returns, Worthy will fall to fourth on the target hierarchy. Maybe by that time, he’s played his way to being even with Brown, in which case he’d be the No. 3A or No. 3B. Either way, Worthy is a sell for me. Other receivers going behind Brown and Worthy are Christian Watson (WR42), Ladd McConkey (WR43), Keon Coleman (WR46), and Brian Thomas Jr. (WR48). I’d rather have them at cost than Brown and Worthy.

Verdict: Buy Rashee Rice and Sell Marquise Brown and Xavier Worthy

 

Fantasy Football Tight End Outlook

Travis Kelce: TE2, ADP 31

Sam LaPorta just edged out Kelce for TE1 honors last year in half-PPR scoring, averaging 11.6 to Kelce's 11.5. However, if we include Weeks 1-17 and the NFL playoffs, Kelce's half-PPR PPG average jumps to 12.9, while LaPorta's goes to 11.3. We'll stick with Weeks 1-17, though. During that time, Kelce's expected half-PPR PPG average was 12.0, first among tight ends. LaPorta's was 10.2, tied for fifth. The number one reason for the discrepancy is touchdowns.

Kelce scored five on 117 targets, while LaPorta scored nine on 111. Kelce's expected touchdowns were 7.7, almost three more than he scored. LaPorta's was 6.1, almost three fewer than he scored. Kelce had more targets than LaPorta and finished with more red zone targets and end zone targets. Let's stop focusing on LaPorta for a second. In the past three seasons before 2023, Kelce hadn't scored fewer than eight touchdowns in a season. Therefore, we need to determine if Kelce scoring only five touchdowns last year was just noise or something to be concerned with.

Year Targets Per Game Red Zone Targets Per Game End Zone Targets Per Game Touchdowns TD Rate
2023 7.80 1.67 0.47 5 4.2%
2022 8.94 2.50 0.56 12 8.4%
2021 8.40 1.53 0.20 8 6.3%
2020 9.27 1.93 0.80 11 7.9%
2020-2022 8.87 2.00 0.52 31 7.6%

In the table above, you can see his targets, red zone targets, and end zone targets per game averages from 2020-2023. It also includes his 2020-2022 average. You'll also see his touchdown rate for each season and his three-year average from 2020-2022. As you can see, his target numbers align with his three-year average. His targets per game dropped by one, his red zone targets dropped by 0.33, and his end zone targets dropped by 0.05 per game. Those numbers do not come close to explaining why he went from scoring 12, 8, and 11 touchdowns to just five. His 2020-2022 touchdown rate was just 7.6%, but in 2023, he scored just 4.2%. Considering Mahomes' touchdown rate from this year, it's safe to say both players are in store for a major rebound this season.

Verdict: Buy Travis Kelce

 

As a reminder, please use promo code "BOOM" at checkout for 10% off any premium purchase.



Download Our Free News & Alerts Mobile App

Like what you see? Download our updated fantasy football app for iPhone and Android with 24x7 player news, injury alerts, rankings, starts/sits & more. All free!

More Fantasy Football Analysis




POPULAR FANTASY TOOLS

Expert Advice
Articles & Tools
Import Your Leagues
Draft Rankings
Draft Simulator
Enter League Settings
Value Picks
Compare Any Players
News and Alerts

REAL-TIME FANTASY NEWS

Cam Skattebo

Agrees to Terms on Rookie Deal
Beaux Collins

Working with Giants Starters
Marquise Brown

Feels 100% Healthy
Houston Texans

Texans Signing Damon Arnette
Jaire Alexander

Inks One-Year Deal with Ravens
Jared Wiley

Wearing Knee Brace at Minicamp
Christiaan Bezuidenhout

Looks to Continue Momentum Into Travelers Championship
Anders Carlson

Jets Release Anders Carlson
Malik Nabers

Will be Ready for Training Camp
TreVeyon Henderson

Unclear if TreVeyon Henderson is a Future Bell-Cow Back
Hideki Matsuyama

Searching for Consistency at Travelers Championship
Justin Thomas

Looks to Bounce Back at Travelers Championship
Travis Hunter

More Comfortable on Defense?
Adam Scott

Looks to Rebound After Disappointing U.S. Open Finish
Collin Morikawa

Eyeing Another Strong Performance at Travelers
Shane Lowry

a High-Upside Play at Travelers
Tommy Fleetwood

Looks to Rebound at Travelers
Corey Conners

Withdraws from Travelers with Wrist Injury
Keegan Bradley

in Solid Form Ahead of Travelers Championship
Gary Woodland

Hit-or-Miss at the Travelers
Sepp Straka

Expected to Contend at Travelers Championship
Andrew Novak

on the Radar for Travelers Championship Success
Tyrese Haliburton

to Be a Game-Time Call Thursday
Roman Josi

Expects to Return for 2025-26 Campaign
Sam Bennett

Wins Conn Smythe Trophy
Tom Kim

Enjoys Solid U.S. Open After Canada Misstep
Matthew Tkachuk

Reveals Multiple Injuries
Aleksander Barkov

Posts Two Assists in Cup-Clinching Win
Carter Verhaeghe

Collects Hat Trick of Assists in Tuesday's Win
Max Greyserman

Playing Steady Heading to Travelers Championship
Sam Reinhart

Scores Four Goals in Cup-Clincher
Matt Fitzpatrick

Strives for Better Result at Travelers Championship
Thomas Detry

Battles for Solid Result at Oakmont
Daniel Berger

Looks for Birdies at Travelers Championship
Cal Raleigh

Homers, Drives in Six on Tuesday
Andy Pages

Homers Twice in Win Over Padres
Cam Smith

Launches Two Home Runs in Victory
Salvador Perez

Homers Twice, Plates Four Tuesday
Michael Toglia

Homers Twice, Plates Three Tuesday
Javier Báez

Javier Baez Collects Three Hits, Homers Twice Tuesday
Las Vegas Raiders

Jeremy Chinn Will Continue to Play Multiple Roles With Raiders
Christian Wilkins

Absent at Minicamp
Las Vegas Raiders

Raiders to Add Cornerback Help?
Rafael Devers

Expected to Play First Base in San Francisco
Will Warren

Strikes Out 11 in Quality Start
Elijah Ellis

Signs with Chargers
Jashaun Corbin

Heading to Atlanta
Kyren Williams

Rams Progressing Toward Extension
Jaxson Dart

Showing Well Early
Max Scherzer

Could Rejoin Blue Jays Next Week
John Klingberg

Rejoins Oilers Lineup Tuesday
Tylor Megill

Placed on 15-Day Injured List, Out 4-5 Weeks With Elbow Sprain
Kasperi Kapanen

Returns to Oilers Lineup for Game 6
Stuart Skinner

Back in Oilers Crease Tuesday
Gabriel Moreno

Scratched on Tuesday With Sore Hand
Rory McIlroy

a Good Course Horse at TPC River Highlands
Scottie Scheffler

Looks to Defend Title at Travelers Championship
Viktor Hovland

a Strong Play at Travelers Championship
Deebo Samuel Sr.

Dan Quinn Says Deebo Samuel Sr. Still Has Plenty of Speed
Sam Burns

' Near Miss at Oakmont May Not Mean Big Things at Travelers
Jalen Coker

Not a Roster Lock?
Ryan Fitzgerald

Favored to Win Panthers Kicking Job?
Efton Chism III

Mixing in with First-Team Offense
Jurickson Profar

Starting Rehab Assignment on Tuesday
Will Vest

Likely to Avoid Injured List
Rafael Devers

Expected to Make Giants Debut on Tuesday
Chet Holmgren

Has Tough Shooting Night in Game 5 Against Pacers
Shai Gilgeous-Alexander

Outstanding at Both Ends Monday
Jalen Williams

Erupts for 40 Points in Game 5 Win
Pascal Siakam

Has Best Game of Finals Monday
Tyrese Haliburton

Determined to Battle Through Calf Injury
LeBron James

Progressing Well From Knee Injury
Lucas Giolito

Strikes Out Season-High 10 in Monday's Win
Logan Gilbert

Fans 10 in Return on Monday
Ryan Pepiot

Strikes Out 11 in Win
Hunter Goodman

Homers Twice, Drives in Three
Stephen Curry

"Not Even Close" to Retirement
Jonathan Kuminga

Linked to Bulls, Heat
Kevin Durant

Has "No Desire" to be Traded to Minnesota
Isaac Paredes

Returns as DH on Monday
Jarace Walker

Remains Sidelined for Game 5
Justin Verlander

Returning to the Rotation on Wednesday
Giancarlo Stanton

to Make Season Debut on Monday
Kamaru Usman

Gets Back In The Win Column
Joaquin Buckley

Winning Streak Comes To An End
Miranda Maverick

Drops Decision At UFC Atlanta
Rose Namajunas

Wins Decision At UFC Atlanta
Andre Petroski

Suffers Unanimous-Decision Loss
Edmen Shahbazyan

Wins Back-To-Back Fights
Raoni Barcelos

Wins Third Fight In A Row
Chase Elliott

Ends Mexico City with A Great Finish of Third
Christopher Bell

has A Strong Runner-Up Performance At Mexico City
Chase Briscoe

Wild Day Ends with A Top-10 Finish
Michael McDowell

Leaves Mexico City with A Top-Five Finish
Cody Garbrandt

Loses Back-To-Back Fights
Cody Brundage

Defeated After Accidental Clash Of Heads
Cody Brundage

Mansur Abdul-Malik Defeats Cody Brundage By Technical Decision
Oumar Sy

Suffers His First Loss
Alonzo Menifield

Scores Upset Win
Alex Bowman

Delivers Bravura Performance After Michigan Injury
Tyler Reddick

Inexplicably Mediocre on his Once-Best Track Type
John Hunter Nemechek

Canny Strategy Gives John Hunter Nemechek Best Career Road-Course Finish
Cole Custer

Earns Best Finish Since Cup-Series Comeback at Mexico City
Kentavious Caldwell-Pope

on the Move to Memphis
Cole Anthony

Dealt to the Grizzlies
Desmond Bane

Traded to Orlando
Steven Adams

Rockets Agree to Three-Year Contract Extension
Ty Dillon

Is a Respectable Cap Flexiblity-Focused DFS Option For Mexico City
Corey Perry

Produces 10th Postseason Goal
Connor McDavid

Scores First Finals Goal
John Hunter Nemechek

Is John Hunter Nemechek Worth Rostering In Mexico City DFS Lineups?
Sam Bennett

Nets Another Road Goal in Game 5 Win
Eetu Luostarinen

Earns Two Points Saturday
Brad Marchand

Pots Two Goals in Game 5 Victory
Sergei Bobrovsky

Ties NHL Record with 10th Road Win
Ross Chastain

Trackhouse Racing's Mexico Focus Makes Ross Chastain a Leading Contender for the Win
Kyle Busch

One of Two Past Mexico City Winners in the Field
Ryan Preece

Earns Surprising Front-Row Start
Austin Cindric

Not as Strong of a Road Racer as People Think
NASCAR

Bubba Wallace Stronger on Infield Road Courses Than Purpose-Built Ones
Joey Logano

Seemingly Alternating Between Good and Mediocre Races
Brad Keselowski

One of the Few Drivers with Mexico City Experience
Denny Hamlin

Ryan Truex Makes First Cup Series Start Since 2014
Erik Jones

Mexico City Will Likely be a Struggle for Erik Jones
Noah Gragson

Front Row Motorsports' Speed May Make Noah Gragson a Decent DFS Option
Ricky Stenhouse Jr

Road Courses Are Ricky Stenhouse Jr.'s Worst Track Type
Evander Kane

Drops to Fourth Line Saturday
Kasperi Kapanen

Won't Play on Saturday
Calvin Pickard

Starts Game 5 for Oilers
Tyrese Haliburton

Struggles in Friday's Loss to OKC
Chet Holmgren

Dominates the Glass in Game 4
Shai Gilgeous-Alexander

Leads the Way in Game 4
Jalen Williams

Has a Quality Showing on Friday Night
Russell Westbrook

to Decline Player Option
Kevin Durant

Trade Could Happen in the "Next Few Days"
Joaquin Buckley

Set For Main Event
Kamaru Usman

An Underdog At UFC Atlanta
Miranda Maverick

Set For Co-Main Event
Rose Namajunas

Looks To Bounce Back
Andre Petroski

Looks To Extend His Win Streak To Four
Edmen Shahbazyan

A Favorite At UFC Atlanta
Raoni Barcelos

Set To Take On Former Champion
Cody Garbrandt

Looks To Get Back In The Win Column
Mansur Abdul-Malik

Looks For His Third UFC Win
Connor Hellebuyck

Wins Vezina And Hart Trophies
Aleksander Barkov

Records Two Power-Play Assists Thursday
Sam Reinhart

Collects Three Points in Thursday's Loss
RANKINGS
C
1B
2B
3B
SS
OF
SP
RP

RANKINGS

QB
RB
WR
TE
K
DEF