Kansas City Chiefs News

Kansas City Chiefs running back Emmett Johnson is a worthy bench stash as we head into the back half of the fantasy season. Johnson has been used sparingly as a rusher this year behind workhorse teammate Kenneth Walker. However, when given the opportunity, he's flashed his ability as an impact player. Most recently, the rookie came alive in a big way in the team's Week 8 loss to the Broncos. The Minneapolis, Minnesota native hauled in all five of his targets for a staggering 128 yards and a touchdown on the back of a 73-yard catch-and-run. Owners can't rely on that kind of volume from Johnson every week, though it's worth noting he's been a strong option when called upon and ranks third on the team in receiving yards (237) on minimal opportunities. Johnson is unlikely to turn the Chiefs' backfield into a committee, but he could siphon off more work moving forward. Head coach Andy Reid is notorious for making rookies earn their stripes. The 23-year-old is one of fantasy's most critical handcuffs.

Kansas City Chiefs kicker Harrison Butker will face the New York Jets in Week 9. Butker struggled once again in last week's loss, missing one of his two field goal attempts but did manage to make all three of his extra-point attempts. The Chiefs kicker has now missed six of his 18 field goal attempts this season and one of his extra-point attempts. With the acquisition of former Baltimore Ravens kicker Justin Tucker, one can only assume Butker will be kicking for his job moving forward. Butker will be tough to trust again this week against the Jets. Despite the effectiveness of the Chiefs offense, Butker's inaccuracy has been a real problem. Butker is ranked K19 in our RotoBaller Week 9 rankings, making him a start in only the deepest of leagues. Fantasy managers may want to avoid Butker until his accuracy improves.

Kansas City Chiefs running back Emmett Johnson could find himself some more involvement in the offense this Sunday against the New York Jets. Despite only handling one carry for 15 yards in last week's loss to the Denver Broncos, Johnson made a huge impact in the receiving game. Johnson caught five passes for 128 yards and a touchdown in his limited snap role, breaking off a 73-yard catch-and-run that culminated in a trip to the end zone. The 23-year-old out of Nebraska has been an impactful player nearly every time he's touched the ball this season, breaking tackles left and right, and he will get the chance to continue his impressive play against the Jets. The Jets defense has been a soft matchup for running backs in recent weeks, so Johnson could be set up nicely to build on his momentum. Kenneth Walker is still the RB1 on the team, but Johnson could earn a few more carries and targets per game if he continues displaying his explosiveness and per-touch efficiency. Johnson is ranked RB47 in our RotoBaller Week 9 PPR rankings, making him a low-end flex option this week. While a path to weekly flex viability could open up soon, it isn't open yet, so fantasy managers should treat Johnson as more of a stash candidate with tons of upside.

Kansas City Chiefs wide receiver Cyrus Allen caught two of his three targets for 20 yards in last week's loss to the Denver Broncos. Despite the loss, the rookie receiver finished the game fourth on the team in yards. Allen also played his most snaps of the season in Week 8, indicating that the coaching staff is gaining more trust in the young wideout. Given the team's struggles to produce from the wide receiver position, Allen could be the man to step into the WR2 role behind Rashee Rice. It also helps that Allen and Rice win in different areas of the field so the duo could easily coexist. Allen will look to continue his upward trend this Sunday against the New York Jets. The Jets' defense has been middle-of-the-pack against wide receivers this year, making this matchup one that Allen could succeed against. Allen is ranked WR103 in our RotoBaller Week 9 PPR rankings, making him a desperation flex option this weekend. The rookie wideout is an interesting player who could be relevant down the stretch, but fantasy managers may benefit from taking a wait-and-see approach with Allen instead of viewing him as a plug-and-play option.

Kansas City Chiefs wide receiver Xavier Worthy will face the New York Jets at home in Week 9. Worthy truly took a backseat with the return of Rashee Rice to the offense, catching just three passes for 13 yards in last week's loss to the Denver Broncos. The third-year wideout will now take on a Jets defense that is league-average against opposing wide receivers this season. Worthy finished last week with the seventh-most receiving on the team, which just goes to show that his involvement in the passing attack can fluctuate mightily from week to week. He went from the featured receiver on the team to an afterthought with everyone healthy. Worthy will try to make a bigger impact this week against the Jets. The Jets' secondary has been average against wide receivers this season, so the opportunity is there for him to succeed. Worthy is ranked WR47 in our RotoBaller Week 9 PPR rankings, making him a flex option this Sunday. Fantasy managers may be better off looking elsewhere for production given Worthy's volatility and relative lack of upside.

Kansas City Chiefs tight end Travis Kelce was listed on the injury report with an ankle injury he's been nursing for a couple of weeks, but he practiced in full and has no designation for the contest. The veteran tight end caught five of his seven targets for 67 yards in last week's loss to the Denver Broncos. Kelce's production this season has been solid, with only one true dud through seven games. His chemistry with quarterback Patrick Mahomes should keep him in the TE1 this week against the New York Jets. The Jets have been one of the softer matchups for opposing tight ends this season, making this a good spot for Kelce. Kelce is ranked TE11 in our RotoBaller Week 9 PPR rankings, making him a low-end TE1 at home this Sunday. Fantasy managers should continue to expect serviceable performances from one of the all-time great tight ends even if he does not possess the same upside he once had.

Kansas City Chiefs wide receiver Rashee Rice was limited in practice earlier this week with hamstring and knee injuries, but practiced fully the last two days and does not have a designation heading into the weekend. Rice stepped right back into the WR1 role in his first game back last week. Rice caught seven passes for 53 yards and a touchdown on eight targets in the loss to the Denver Broncos. Rice will likely continue that level of usage this week at home against the New York Jets. The Jets defense has been an average matchup for wide receivers, so Rice should have no issues acting as the top target in this offense. Quarterback Patrick Mahomes looks for Rice early and often in games, so that will likely be the case again this week. Rice is ranked WR17 in our RotoBaller Week 9 PPR rankings, making him a WR2 this weekend.

Kansas City Chiefs running back Kenneth Walker handled 21 carries for 69 yards (3.3 yards per carry) and caught four passes for 15 yards in last week's loss to the Denver Broncos. The Broncos bottled up the Chiefs back, holding him to a longest run of just 10 yards. Walker has now been held to under 3.5 ypc in his last two games after being well above that mark in his blistering five-game stretch to start the season. Walker had well over 100 rushing yards in four of his first five games, and he will try to get back to that level of production against the New York Jets in Week 9. The Jets have been middle-of-the-pack against opposing running backs this season, making this a great spot for Walker to break off some explosive plays on the ground and through the air. Walker is ranked RB2 in our RotoBaller Week 9 PPR rankings, making him a top running back option again this week. Walker has been the second most valuable back in fantasy football this season, so fantasy managers should be excited about him having a more favorable matchup this Sunday.

Kansas City Chiefs quarterback Patrick Mahomes was listed on the injury report with the same knee injury he's been rehabbing since the offseason, but participated fully in practice all week and is good to go for Week 9. Mahomes and the Chiefs are coming off back-to-back losses against two of the best defenses in the NFL. Mahomes passed for 321 yards and three touchdowns in the 28-24 loss to the Denver Broncos in Week 8. The veteran QB bounced back from an individual standpoint, but the team was not able to pull off the win. Mahomes will look to turn that around against the New York Jets at home this week. The Jets have been middle-of-the-pack against opposing quarterbacks, so Mahomes should have no issues completing passes against them. Mahomes will be looking to put the team back in the win column and probably will have to score a bunch to do that because the Jets offense is much improved this season. Mahomes is ranked QB8 in our RotoBaller Week 9 rankings, making him a low-end QB1 option this week. Fantasy managers should start Mahomes in what should be a soft matchup.

Kansas City Chiefs running back Kenneth Walker hasn't shown the same explosiveness during Kansas City's two-game losing streak. He averaged 6.3 yards per carry over his first five appearances, rushing for 665 yards and scoring eight total touchdowns. Against the Seattle Seahawks and Denver Broncos, that efficiency fell to 3.0 yards per attempt, with 105 yards on 35 carries and no touchdowns. The dip is noticeable, but it isn't a reason to bench him. Walker played 81% of the offensive snaps against Denver, handled 21 of the Chiefs' 22 running back carries, and caught four passes for the second straight game. That gave him 25 touches in Week 8, even though he finished with just 84 scrimmage yards and 12.4 PPR points. RotoBaller still ranks him RB2 for Week 9 against the New York Jets. The most striking change is the absence of long runs: his longest gain across the two losses was 10 yards after producing runs of 60, 76, and 33 yards earlier this season.

Kansas City Chiefs wide receiver Rashee Rice filed for bankruptcy in federal court on Wednesday, claiming he has more than $3.45 million in debts, according to federal court records, per ESPN's Nate Taylor and Michael Rothstein. Rice claimed that more than $2.1 million of his debts are tied to varying plaintiffs suing him in civil litigations that have either been settled or are awaiting trial. The 26-year-old has been sued by multiple individuals for his role in a high-speed multi-car crash in Dallas in 2024 and an ex-girlfriend alleging he repeatedly assaulted her from 2023 to 2025. Rice claimed to have $677,054 in personal assets, including $421,825 in "deferred compensation." The filing claims he has $13,640 in his checking accounts. Rice claimed $39,241 of his personal assets to be non-exempt. He is in the final year of his rookie contract with the Chiefs and is expected to make $1,560,711 in base salary in 2026. Rice has already missed two games this year with a hamstring injury and has been mostly a disappointment as a WR2 for fantasy managers, with 20 catches for 243 yards and two touchdowns. If the Chiefs add a WR by Tuesday's trade deadline, Rice's fantasy ceiling for the rest of the year will take a hit.

Kansas City Chiefs wide receiver Rashee Rice (hamstring, knee) is on track to play in Week 9 on Sunday against the visiting New York Jets after upgrading to a full practice on Thursday, according to Pete Sweeney of The Kansas City Star. Rice was limited in the first practice of the week on Wednesday, but now that he is back to a full-go, fantasy managers should not have any concerns about his status going into the weekend. The 26-year-old returned from a two-game absence due to a hamstring injury in the Week 8 loss to the division-rival Denver Broncos on Sunday to catch seven of his eight targets for 53 yards and his second touchdown of the season. Another week removed from his hamstring injury, Rice should be in most starting fantasy lineups this weekend against a reeling Jets defense. In five games played so far in his fourth year in the NFL, Rice has posted 20 receptions on 25 targets for 243 yards and two touchdowns. He should be considered a solid WR2 option for fantasy managers as the Chiefs look to put an end to their current two-game losing streak.

Kansas City Chiefs veteran tight end Travis Kelce (ankle) upgraded to a full practice on Thursday, according to Pete Sweeney of The Kansas City Star. Kelce should be fine to play in the Week 9 contest on Sunday against the visiting New York Jets after being limited in the first practice of the week on Wednesday. The 37-year-old future Hall of Famer has not been turning heads with his production so far in what could be his last year in the NFL, but he has quietly led the team in receptions and receiving yards in each of the last two weeks, both losses to the Seattle Seahawks and Denver Broncos. Kelce has caught nine of his 15 targets over that span for 111 yards and a touchdown, and he will remain at least a low-end TE1 option for fantasy managers as the Chiefs look to get back in the win column at home against the Jets this weekend. Overall, through eight weeks (seven games), Kelce has caught 29 passes for 410 yards and two touchdowns on 42 targets. The 11-time Pro Bowler and four-time first-team All-Pro continues to be a reliable safety valve for quarterback Patrick Mahomes.

Returning from a three-week absence, Kansas City Chiefs wide receiver Rashee Rice (hamstring, knee) led the team with seven receptions for 53 yards and a touchdown in a Week 8 loss to the Broncos, and he has now topped double-digit fantasy points in his last three full games played. While he has struggled to stay on the field since the Chiefs selected him in the second round of the 2023 NFL Draft, Rice has consistently proven himself a favorite target of quarterback Patrick Mahomes, and he could emerge as a second-half fantasy difference maker through steady volume and a reliably high floor. Facing a relatively stout Jets defense in Week 9, Rice is RotoBaller's WR17.

Kansas City Chiefs wide receiver Xavier Worthy had a few weeks of opportunity to be the team's top receiver with Rashee Rice sidelined by a hamstring injury. Rice returned in Week 8, though, sliding Worthy back down the depth chart to the second receiver. Worthy had seven receptions for 73 yards in Week 6, while filling in for Rice, but he was held to three catches for 11 yards at Seattle in Week 7. With Rice's return, he caught three passes for 13 yards against the Broncos. He's averaging 3.9 catches per game but hasn't reached 75 yards or more in any contest this season. With just three catches in each of the last two weeks and Rice back to being the team's top receiver, Worthy's fantasy value is slipping. He's still the No. 43 WR in RotoBaller's Week 9 rankings, so he's usable in deep formats, although he's hard to trust in standard-sized leagues and can be dropped for options with more long-term potential in shallow leagues.

Kansas City Chiefs wide receiver Rashee Rice (hamstring, knee) was a limited participant during Wednesday's practice session. Rice made his return to the field last week after missing two straight games due to a hamstring injury. He looked good on the field, hauling in seven of his eight targets for 53 yards in the loss to the Denver Broncos. Rice is dealing with a pair of injuries right now, so his limited session could be the Chiefs being cautious with him. Fantasy managers should continue to monitor his status, but they shouldn't be too worried right now. It doesn't sound like Rice is in real jeopardy of missing the Week 9 matchup against the New York Jets. If he does miss time, Xavier Worthy would likely benefit the most out of all the wideouts.

Kansas City Chiefs tight end Travis Kelce (ankle) was a limited participant during Wednesday's practice session. Kelce was limited during part of practice last week as well, but he still suited up for the Week 8 loss to the Denver Broncos. The veteran tight end being limited to begin the week could just be for rest purposes. Fantasy managers should continue to monitor his status throughout the week ahead of the Week 9 matchup against the New York Jets. The 37-year-old has been a consistent option lately with four receptions or more in each of his last three games. If he gets downgraded, Noah Gray would likely see an expanded role this weekend.

Kansas City Chiefs head coach Andy Reid said kicker Harrison Butker will be the team's kicker in Week 9 on Sunday at home against the New York Jets, according to Nate Taylor of ESPN. Butker's struggles from long range continued in the 28-24 loss to the division-rival Denver Broncos in Week 8, with the 31-year-old veteran making one of his two field-goal attempts and all three of his extra-point tries on Sunday. The 10-year veteran has made a career-low 66.7% of his 18 field-goal attempts through seven games so far in 2026, including going just 2-for-7 on kickers over 50 yards. He has also missed one of his 18 extra-point attempts. The Chiefs brought in former Pro Bowl kicker Justin Tucker as insurance for the struggling Butker a week ago, but so far, Reid and the Chiefs have decided to stick with Butker, even though he has been a liability up to this point. In standard-sized 12-team fantasy leagues, managers should be looking to move on from Butker in favor of a kicker with a stronger and more accurate leg. Butker is ranked as the No. 19 kicker for Week 9 at RotoBaller.

Kansas City Chiefs running back Emmett Johnson has seen his target total rise in four consecutive games, culminating in a season-high five receptions for 128 yards and a touchdown in Sunday's loss to the Broncos. With the Chiefs in search of consistent producers in the passing game, the fifth-round rookie now ranks third on the team with his 237 receiving yards, presenting enough standalone value to make him a viable weekly flex option. Coupled with the week-winning potential he offers as a direct handcuff to Kenneth Walker, Johnson has emerged as a must-roster player and is a priority waiver add wherever still available.

Kansas City Chiefs quarterback Patrick Mahomes was able to rebound during Sunday's game against the Denver Broncos. Before this game, Mahomes hadn't thrown a touchdown in back-to-back games. The two-time MVP was carving up the Broncos defense through the first three quarters of this game. The Chiefs were unable to finish the job, but this was still a masterful performance by Mahomes. He completed 30-of-41 passing attempts for 321 yards with three touchdowns and zero interceptions in the loss. This marked the second time this season that Mahomes has thrown for over 300 yards with three touchdowns in a single game. He should continue to succeed against the shaky New York Jets defense in Week 9.