Will Richie James Have A Role In The Chiefs Offense? Is James Worth Drafting In 2023?

July 8, 2023

Will Richie James have a role in the Chiefs offense? The former Giant signed with the Chiefs and enters a crowded WR room. What is Richie James' fantasy outlook for 2023?

Kansas City Chiefs wide receiver Richie James signed a one-year, $1.32 million deal with the franchise in the ongoing offseason. James, a seventh-round pick from the 2018 NFL Draft, started his career with the San Francisco 49ers, but after three seasons he joined the New York Giants.

After just one season with the Giants, he will now play for the reigning Super Bowl champions and will aim to succeed in the role given to him by the franchise. The Chiefs lost the likes of Mecole Hardman and JuJu Smith-Schuster in free agency, but they still have a lot of good pieces in the receiver room.

In this article, we will talk about what role James can expect with the Chiefs in 2023 and whether he will be able to earn fantasy points for managers.

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Richie James will have a small role in the Chiefs' offense

Given how many talented young wide receivers the Kansas City Chiefs have on their roster, Richie James would have a difficult time leapfrogging them. The Chiefs' leading wide receivers in 2023 will be Kadarius Toney, Marquez Valdes-Scantling, and Skyy Moore, while Justyn Ross and Rashee Rice will hope to impress in their first seasons.

If everyone is healthy, James, Justin Watson, and John Ross will be limited to fewer snaps on the field. Since Travis Kelce will still be Patrick Mahomes' primary target this upcoming season, fantasy owners should expect James to contribute very little.

Given that Mahomes improves everyone around him, we can expect better performances from the 27-year-old wide receiver, but getting significant targets will be difficult for him given how crowded the Chiefs' offense already is.

How did Richie James perform last season?

Last season, Richie James had 57 catches for 569 yards and four touchdowns in 17 games for the New York Giants. In terms of production, it was the best season of James' career, and he will hope to build on that.

We saw how injuries hampered Kadarius Toney and Justyn Ross last season, which is why James should be prepared for his chance in 2023. When called upon, he could emerge as a dependable option.

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