Kansas City Chiefs News

Kansas City Chiefs head coach Andy Reid said he thinks wide receiver Rashee Rice (knee) will be "ready for camp as we go forward," per Around the NFL. Rice underwent knee surgery in mid-May and is also currently serving a 30-day jail sentence in Dallas County after violating the terms of his probation for his role in a high-speed car crash. The 26-year-old has had his fair share of both injury and off-field issues, as he's played in just 12 games over the past two seasons due to a knee injury, a league suspension, and a concussion. Rice was a productive player when on the field in 2025, recording 53 catches for 571 yards and five touchdowns on 78 targets across eight games. However, Rice's inability to stay on the field with any consistency makes his profile extremely risky for fantasy managers.

Kansas City Chiefs wide receiver Xavier Worthy (shoulder) is wearing a yellow no-contact jersey during OTA practices this week after having surgery in the offseason to fully repair the torn labrum in his left shoulder, according to sports reporter Matt Foster. The 23-year-old speedster injured his shoulder in the Week 1 regular-season opener in 2025 and missed the following two games as a result. The former 28th overall pick in 2024 out of the University of Texas played in 14 games (13 starts) in his sophomore campaign and took a step back, catching 42 of his 73 targets for 532 yards and only one touchdown. Worthy has elite speed on the football field, but as long as Rashee Rice is active, he's been a distant second on KC's depth chart. His disappointing Year 2 performance has dropped him to No. 52 in RotoBaller's 2026 WR rankings, but with better health and Rice potentially facing another suspension to begin the year, Worthy's stock could be back on the rise in the coming months. Tight end Travis Kelce, now 37, also can't be relied on as much for a big role in the passing game.

Kansas City Chiefs quarterback Patrick Mahomes (knee) is being limited to 7-on-7 work during OTA practices this week, according to Pete Sweeney of The Kansas City Star. The fact that Mahomes is even participating at all in voluntary workouts at the end of May is a positive for the Chiefs after he tore his ACL and LCL in Week 15 against the Los Angeles Chargers last year. The 30-year-old superstar is making great progress, and if he continues at this rate, he'll have an excellent chance to play in the Week 1 2026 regular-season opener on Monday Night Football against the division-rival Denver Broncos. The six-time Pro Bowler and two-time MVP has finished as the QB11 in fantasy football in each of the last two years, and there's a chance his top receiver, Rashee Rice (knee), is suspended once again to begin the upcoming season. While we can't put anything past Mahomeboy after his stellar nine-year career so far, he's been trending down in fantasy the last two years and is now coming off major knee surgery. RotoBaller has him viewed as more of a low-end QB1/high-end QB2 target in fantasy drafts later this year. UPDATE: Mahomes said he is working toward being fully cleared for the start of training camp at the end of July.

Kansas City Chiefs quarterback Patrick Mahomes (knee) was on the field with a brace on his left knee on Tuesday for the team's opening OTA practice after having surgery on Dec. 15 to fix a torn ACL and LCL that he suffered on Dec. 14 against the Los Angeles Chargers, according to Nate Taylor of ESPN. Tuesday's practice was closed to the media, so it's unclear exactly how much the star signal-caller did. Mahomes' goal is to be ready for the Week 1 regular-season opener on Monday night against the division-rival Denver Broncos on Sept. 14, and him being on the field late in May is a good first step. The Chiefs are optimistic that Mahomes will be ready for the season opener. Still, there's no guarantee that the 30-year-old six-time Pro Bowler and two-time MVP will be ready for Week 1 against Denver, which clouds his 2026 fantasy value as a QB1. Despite another disappointing year from Mahomes fantasy-wise, he still finished as the QB5 in fantasy points per game, although his serious knee injury has made him a low-end QB1/high-end QB2 target in single-year drafts this year.

Kansas City Chiefs wide receiver Xavier Worthy has been a dynasty disappointment after his record-breaking Combine performance and favorable landing spot pushed him into the first round of 2024 rookie drafts. Injuries and inconsistency have limited him to less than 1,200 receiving yards through his first two seasons, but with teammate Rashee Rice again making off-field headlines and tight end Travis Kelce set to turn 37 at the start of the 2026 season, Worthy becomes an intriguing buy candidate with his price tag having fallen dramatically from the consensus WR18 dynasty ranking he took into his rookie year. Rice is currently serving a 30-day jail sentence after violating the probation conditions stemming from his 2024 multi-car collision that caused serious bodily injury. It's unlikely he'll face additional punishment from the NFL after serving a six-game suspension for the initial incident in 2025, but with injuries and the aforementioned suspension limiting him to only 12 games over the past two seasons, there is a potential opportunity for growth in an otherwise lackluster receiver room. Behind Worthy and Rice, Kansas City's depth chart includes Tyquan Thornton, 2025 fourth-round pick Jalen Royals, 2026 fifth-round pick Cyrus Allen, and undrafted free agent Jeff Caldwell. Worthy is RotoBaller's WR52 in dynasty leagues, but in an offense that could look drastically different as early as 2027, there is still a bull case to be made for his long-term upside.

ESPN's Adam Schefter reports that the Kansas City Chiefs have no plans for the foreseeable future to sign wide receiver Rashee Rice (knee) to a long-term contract extension. Rice is currently serving a 30-day sentence in prison for violating his probation by testing positive for marijuana, and he's also recovering from a clean-up procedure on his right knee. Can you blame the Chiefs? The 26-year-old former second-rounder (55th overall) in 2023 out of SMU already served a six-game suspension for violating the league's personal-conduct policy, and although he should be recovered from knee surgery in time for Week 1 of the 2026 regular season, the NFL could choose to suspend Rice again to begin the upcoming season. Rice is heading into the final year of a four-year, $6.4 million deal with KC and could be hitting the open market next March. He is serving a five-year probation for his involvement in an accident in Dallas in 2024. Rice has the potential to be one of the best wideouts in the league, but injuries and off-the-field issues are holding him back and causing his dynasty stock to fall drastically. He had 79 catches, 938 yards, and seven touchdowns in 16 games in his rookie season in 2023, but he has played in only 12 games in the last two years. A potential second suspension in 2026 will inevitably cause Rice's redraft fantasy value to drop.

Kansas City Chiefs quarterback Garrett Nussmeier is currently buried on the depth chart, but he has long-term upside as a potential handcuff option for Patrick Mahomes' fantasy managers. Nussmeier was projected as a mid-round pick, but he fell to the seventh, offering some value for the Chiefs. Adding him to the quarterback room also makes sense because Mahomes is recovering from a torn ACL. While we expect Justin Fields to start Week 1 if Mahomes isn't ready to play, Nussmeier would open the year just one step away from the starting job. Plus, with a four-year rookie contract, the LSU product has the potential to back up Mahomes (and earn playing time if Mahomes gets hurt) for several years to come. Nussmeier is far from a perfect prospect, but the landing spot is terrific since the Chiefs have done a good job supplying Mahomes with weapons and a talented coaching staff. Dynasty managers in deeper leagues should consider stashing Nussmeier, who projects as a fifth-round pick in 2026 rookie drafts.

Kansas City Chiefs running back Kenneth Walker III has had a storybook run over the past three-plus months, signing a three-year, $43 million deal shortly after earning Super Bowl MVP honors, and those accomplishments have not been ignored by dynasty managers. Walker's consensus dynasty ranking has risen more than ten spots since January, and he lands at RB10 in RotoBaller's latest dynasty rankings. After sharing a Seattle backfield with 2023 second-round pick Zach Charbonnet for the past three seasons, Walker has a chance to handle a true bellcow role in a Kansas City offense looking to rebound from a disappointing 2025 season, and capable of doing so if two-time MVP Patrick Mahomes can return to form after a season-ending ACL injury. The Chiefs spent fifth-round draft capital on pass-catching running back Emmett Johnson, but aside from Walker, no back on the roster has ever cracked 60 carries in a season. While he has yet to top the RB16 finish from his 2022 rookie campaign, at only 25 years old, Walker is one of the easiest calls for a true fantasy breakout in 2025, and the 29-touch, 161-yard performance he last put forth in a Super Bowl-winning effort could become a repeatable statline in Andy Reid's offense.

Kansas City Chiefs tight end Travis Kelce is 36 years old and coming into his 14th season as RotoBaller's dynasty TE19. After failing to top 985 receiving yards or five touchdowns in any of his last three seasons, it's clear that his days of league-winning dominance are behind him, but he's still a steadfast producer at a position of scarcity, finishing no lower than TE6 since 2015 and all the way up at TE3 in 2025. Outside of Kelce and wide receiver Rashee Rice, the Chiefs and quarterback Patrick Mahomes, who is trending towards a Week 1 return after suffering a season-ending ACL tear in Week 15, lack reliable pass catchers. Though, with Rice's off-field behavior continuing to grab headlines, questions have arisen about his own reliability. Kelce signed what was originally reported as a new three-year deal this offseason, but the contract gives him the option to retire by the summer of 2027, leading many to believe this will be his final season in the league. His yards per reception have dropped to under 10 yards since 2023 after topping 12.2 yards per catch in each of his first nine active seasons, but he has continued to earn triple-digit targets, with that streak now sitting at 10 consecutive years, while only Trey McBride has seen more looks at the position across his three "down" years. For contending dynasty managers, Kelce is no longer the piece needed to push a team over the top, but he's not priced that way either, making him a worthwhile trade candidate who should provide at least one more year of above-average fantasy production.

Kansas City Chiefs running back Emmett Johnson will open his career in a depth role, but his every-down skill set makes him an intriguing handcuff in case prized free agent signing Kenneth Walker III misses any time. Johnson doesn't have game-changing speed, but he does have a proven track record as a ball-carrier and pass-catcher in the Big 10. He led the conference with 1,451 rushing yards as a redshirt junior in 2025, and he also impressed with 370 receiving yards and 15 total touchdowns. Walker is currently the Chiefs' every-down back, and Emari Demercado or Brashard Smith could rotate in as change-of-pace options. However, we question whether Demercado or Smith is capable of handling an every-down role if Walker goes down. Johnson could be better suited for that workload, making him an appealing dynasty stash at a low cost. He projects as a late second-round pick in 2026 rookie drafts.

A week before being ordered to serve 30 days in jail for violating his probation and testing positive for marijuana, Kansas City Chiefs wide receiver Rashee Rice (knee) had a clean-up surgery on his right knee to remove loose debris that was causing inflammation, league sources told Adam Schefter of ESPN. Rice is expected to be sidelined for two months. It's been quite the eventful day for news about Rice, who was expected to be KC's WR1 again in 2026 as he enters the final year of his rookie deal. Even if Rice was healthy, he wouldn't be available for the team's OTA practices later this month and for mandatory minicamp in early June because he'll be in jail, and the Chiefs' patience could be wearing thin. Health-wise, Rice should be fully recovered for the start of training camp this summer, but he could be facing another suspension from the NFL for violating the league's personal-conduct policy. If Rice isn't available for the start of the 2026 campaign, both Xavier Worthy and Tyquan Thornton would be the team's top pass-catchers for an offense that could be without quarterback Patrick Mahomes (knee) early on. Rice is now on tenuous ground as far as a WR1 in fantasy in redraft leagues in 2026.

Kansas City Chiefs wide receiver Rashee Rice has violated his probation after testing positive for marijuana, according to Matt Foster. He has been ordered to serve 30 days in jail, which means that he will miss the team's organized team activities and mandatory minicamp this month. The NFL announced in early April that Rice wouldn't face any league discipline per the NFL's personal-conduct policy after allegations from his girlfriend surfaced in early January. The 26-year-old could be facing another suspension to begin the 2026 season, though, after his most recent off-the-field transgression. Rice has plenty of talent on the football field, but his bad decisions off of it continue to be a concern that could cause the Chiefs to let him go after the final year of his rookie contract in 2026. He's poised to be KC's WR1 again this year, but another potential suspension hanging over his head could complicate his fantasy value in both dynasty and redraft leagues. The former second-rounder in 2023 out of SMU has played in only 12 games the last two seasons due to injuries and suspension, and he caught 53 of 78 targets for 571 yards and five touchdowns in eight starts in 2025. RotoBaller has Rice ranked as a top-10 fantasy WR, but that could change quickly based on whether the NFL chooses to suspend him again.

Kansas City Chiefs quarterback Patrick Mahomes (knee) is an undisputed MVP finalist every year, but his fantasy value has taken a hit in recent years. He has ranked outside the top 10 fantasy quarterbacks in each of the last two seasons, creating some doubts about whether he can be a top fantasy option in dynasty leagues long-term. The good news is that Mahomes, who is coming back from a torn ACL, should be healthy for most of the 2026 season, and he still has a very long career ahead of him. Currently 30 years old, we could see the Texas Tech product maintain superstardom in the NFL for the next decade-plus. With that being said, if his mobility declines as he gets older, he might struggle to produce as many fantasy points as some of football's run-heavy quarterbacks. That consideration is baked into RotoBaller's latest dynasty rankings, which currently have Mahomes as the overall QB8. That puts him in the fourth tier of quarterbacks, alongside Joe Burrow and Jalen Hurts. Fantasy managers should eventually explore selling high on Mahomes because of his name value, but they might wait to do so until after he's recovered from his knee injury.

The New England Patriots love free-agent wide receiver Stefon Diggs, and he would love to return to New England, but Sports Illustrated's Albert Breer believes a reunion is unlikely if the Patriots acquire A.J. Brown from the Philadelphia Eagles after June 1, as is expected. Breer also thinks that Diggs will eventually land a deal in the one-year, $10 million range. The Kansas City Chiefs and Washington Commanders make sense. The Chiefs would love to add to their WR room, and Diggs is from D.C. Breer thinks the Atlanta Falcons and Los Angeles Rams would also be interesting landing spots for the 32-year-old veteran who was cut by the Patriots this offseason for salary-cap purposes after he had 85 catches, 1,013 yards, and four touchdowns with the team in 17 regular-season games before leading them to a Super Bowl berth. Diggs has seven 1,000-yard seasons in his 11 years in the NFL and will eventually latch on with another organization. Until then, it's very difficult to gauge his fantasy outlook in both redraft and dynasty formats.

Kansas City Chiefs running back Brashard Smith is currently listed as No. 2 on the RB depth chart for the Chiefs behind new starter Kenneth Walker III, but the 23-year-old has fallen all the way to No. 74 in RotoBaller's dynasty RB rankings despite Kareem Hunt and Isiah Pacheco both departing in free agency in the offseason. In addition to Walker, the Chiefs signed Emarci Demercado in free agency and selected Emmett Johnson in the fifth round of this year's draft. Smith, who was a receiver in college at SMU, is elusive and can obviously catch the ball out of the backfied, but at just 5-foot-10 and 196 pounds, he lacks the size to challenge for a true workhorse RB1 role in the NFL, and he could be destined to see most of his snaps on special teams in KC if Johnson emerges as the team's best change-of-pace back behind Walker. In his rookie campaign in 2025 after the Chiefs took him in the seventh round, Smith saw 44 carries for 151 yards (3.4 yards per carry) and no touchdowns, although he added 25 catches for 172 yards and one touchdown through the air in 17 games (one start). Smith has PPR upside, but his dynasty stock has taken a hit due to the additions of Walker, Demercado, and Johnson.

Kansas City Chiefs quarterback Justin Fields could have another sell-high window coming up, and dynasty managers should be ready to capitalize on his increased trade value when it happens. It seemed like Fields would be out of a job entering this offseason, but the Jets ended up trading him to the Chiefs, giving him a chance to earn some more playing time. Quarterback Patrick Mahomes (knee) might end up missing Week 1, and if he does, Fields is expected to be named the starter. If it looks like Fields will end up getting a few starts, there will be a brief period when his value goes up as quarterback-needy managers look to add or trade for him. Managers who currently have Fields on their bench (and have no plans to start him) should capitalize on this opportunity to sell high, when it presents itself. In terms of timing, peaks in his value should correspond with updates about Mahomes' injury, and we should hear more about Mahomes' status in the coming weeks. Dynasty managers should be ready to entertain offers on Fields soon.

Kansas City Chiefs head coach Andy Reid told The Athletic's Jesse Newell at last month's annual NFL meeting that the team limited wide receiver Xavier Worthy's (shoulder) routes last year to protect him after his labrum injury in Week 1. "I would tell you that we kind of, after that, we were afraid to do certain things with (Worthy)," Reid said. "So I think him coming back healthy, I think opens up that whole picture you saw during training camp, where he had a whole bunch of different routes in there." The 23-year-old former first-rounder and speed threat took a step back in Year 2 in 2025, catching just 42 of 73 targets for 532 yards and one touchdown in 14 games after putting up a 59-638-6 line in 17 regular-season games as a rookie in 2024. Worthy's shoulder injury never allowed him to reach his true ceiling in his sophomore campaign, and he never went over 85 receiving yards in a single game. With a full route tree again in 2026, Worthy will have bounce-back potential, but his slight frame (5-foot-11, 165 pounds) will continue to leave him vulnerable to injuries. He's currently ranked as the No. 52 fantasy wideout at RotoBaller, but he'll have bounce-back potential in Year 3 if he can stay healthy.

The Athletic's Jesse Newell suggests that wide receiver Rashee Rice needs to prove himself more both on and off the field before the Kansas City Chiefs realistically consider approaching him about a long-term contract extension. Newell writes that there is "a long way to go between that potential reality and where things sit now." The 26-year-old former second-rounder (55th overall) in 2023 out of SMU is in the final year of his rookie deal in 2026, but he needs to "prove he can go a calendar year without ending up in negative offseason headlines." Rice has played in just 12 regular-season games since the start of 2024 due to suspensions after posting a 79-938-7 line in 16 games in his rookie campaign with KC. Despite his off-the-field issues, Rice is clearly the Chiefs' WR1 going into the upcoming season, and he should be treated as a WR1 in fantasy football as well. In just eight starts in 2025, he caught 53 of his 78 targets for 571 yards and five touchdowns, and he's scored 14 times in his 28 NFL games over his first three seasons. Rice's after-the-catch abilities are as good as any wideout in the league.

Kansas City Chiefs running back Kenneth Walker III suggested on Up & Adams that he could be used more as a receiver with his new team in 2026. The MVP of Super Bowl LX while with the Seattle Seahawks has been spending time with quarterback Patrick Mahomes (knee) this offseason and is preparing for an expanded role as a pass-catching RB. "We've been working on getting connected in the passing game and everything, so that's good," Walker told Kay Adams. "I feel like I'll be used more in the pass game." Walker averaged fewer than 40 catches and 300 yards receiving per season over his four years with the Seahawks. He was most involved as a pass-catcher in 2024, catching 46 passes on 53 targets, but it came with just 299 receiving yards, and he has only two receiving scores in his career. In the last five years, the Chiefs have featured three different RBs with at least 40 catches in a season, and in two of those seasons, Eric Bieniemy was the offensive coordinator. The move to KC is a definite boost for Walker's fantasy value in redraft and dynasty leagues, and RotoBaller currently has him ranked as the No. 10 overall RB for the 2026 season.

Despite some speculation that he might retire at the end of the 2025 season, Kansas City Chiefs tight end Travis Kelce remains atop his team's depth chart heading into 2026. The 36-year-old is no longer the player he once was at his peak, but he still turned in a productive season with 76 catches for 851 yards and five touchdowns on 108 targets across 17 games in 2025. Kelce's fantasy value is closely tied to the health of Chiefs quarterback Patrick Mahomes (knee), who is currently making his way back from knee surgery. Mahomes is expected to participate in OTAs, which could mean he's on track to be fully healthy by Week 1 of 2026. As long as he has his quarterback, Kelce looks like a good bet to put together another top-12 tight end season in PPR-scoring fantasy leagues. His uncertain future beyond 2026 limits his dynasty upside, but Kelce remains an appealing win-now option at the tight end position.