Kansas City Chiefs News

Kansas City Chiefs quarterback Patrick Mahomes (knee) told Caroline Fenton on Yahoo Sports Daily on Wednesday that he's still aiming to be ready for the Week 1 regular-season opener on Monday Night Football against the division-rival Denver Broncos on Sept. 14. "That's my goal," Mahomes said. "I've said that since the beginning is being ready to go Week 1. I can't predict the future, and I know that it's a long process. It's not just my decision, but at the same time I'm going to give the doctors and the coaches every single opportunity I can to let me be out there Week 1." The 30-year-old two-time MVP and six-time Pro Bowler tore his ACL in Week 15 of last year, but he remains on schedule to be ready for the start of the 2026 season and took part in the offseason program on a limited basis. We should get a better read on Mahomes' availability for the start of the regular season when training camp kicks off in a couple of weeks. Even if Mahomes is ready to roll for Week 1, fantasy managers should temper expectations for a signal-caller entering his age-31 season coming off a major knee injury. RotoBaller has Mahomes ranked as the QB13 as he heads into his 10th year in the league.

The Athletic's Jesse Newell writes that Kansas City Chiefs wide receiver Xavier Worthy "checks many other boxes for a potential breakout player" in 2026. Worthy flashed chemistry with quarterback Patrick Mahomes during offseason workouts, and Worthy would have been the team's summer practice MVP if they had one. The speedy receiver just turned 23 years old and is actually two months younger than rookie pass-catcher Cyrus Allen. Worthy's limited production in 2025 in his second season -- 42 catches, 532 yards, and only one touchdown in 14 games -- can be explained by injury after he played through a torn labrum in his shoulder that he suffered in the Week 1 loss to the division-rival Los Angeles Chargers. Head coach Andy Reid even admitted that Worthy's injury led the Chiefs to limit his route tree. Worthy is expected to be back to full strength for a Week 1 Monday night showdown against the division-rival Denver Broncos after having offseason surgery, and fantasy managers would be wise to target the University of Texas alum late in drafts as a WR4/flex with plenty of bounce-back and breakout potential in his third year in 2026.

Kansas City Chiefs tight end Noah Gray is heading into his sixth year with the team in 2026, and although future Hall of Famer Travis Kelce is back for another season, the 27-year-old could have a bigger role on offense. The former fifth-rounder (162nd overall) in 2021 out of Duke caught 21 of his 37 targets for 178 yards (his fewest since his rookie season) and zero touchdowns in 16 games (six starts). It was a disappointing showing for Gray after he had career highs in catches (40), receiving yards (437) and touchdowns (five) the year before. He's a versatile contributor for the Chiefs, leading all offensive players in 2025 with 125 special teams snaps. Gray can also occasionally contribute a big play on offense, but unless Kelce misses time with injury, which is very possible at his age, he's unlikely to attract much interest in fantasy football. RotoBaller currently has Gray ranked as the No. 38 fantasy TE heading into the 2026 season.

Entering 2026, Kansas City Chiefs wide receiver Rashee Rice (knee) is one of the most difficult players to value in fantasy. On paper, the 26-year-old is a talented pass-catcher who also profiles as the number one option for Chiefs quarterback Patrick Mahomes. However, Rice has been unable to avoid off-field issues in recent seasons and could be facing a second league suspension in 2026 after being suspended for the first six games of 2025. Rice also has an extensive injury history at this point, as he's dealt with knee and concussion issues in his career and is currently recovering from knee surgery that he underwent in May. While Rice is expected to be healthy for the start of 2026, he is nearly impossible for fantasy managers to feel comfortable relying on. At his current average draft position of WR11 in redraft leagues, Rice may be a player for fantasy managers to avoid.

Kansas City Chiefs tight end Travis Kelce is back for at least one more season. The 36-year-old isn't the same top-tier fantasy tight end that he used to be, but that doesn't mean he can't be a reliable contributor. This past season, Kelce hauled in 76 receptions, 851 receiving yards, and five touchdowns across 17 games with the Chiefs. The 76-catch season was his lowest since the 2015 season, but that goes to show how long Kelce has been an elite player in this league. The Chiefs don't have many reliable pass-catchers on offense outside of Rashee Rice, and hopefully Xavier Worthy takes a step forward. The health of quarterback Patrick Mahomes (knee) also plays a factor in the fantasy value of Kelce. If everything goes right for the Chiefs, Kelce should still be a fringe top-10 fantasy tight end next season. Given his age, fantasy managers needing a tight end might be able to snag Kelce for cheap, with this possibly being his last season.

After a promising rookie season in 2024, Kansas City Chiefs wide receiver Xavier Worthy saw his production stagnate in a disappointing 2025 campaign. Across 14 games, Worthy recorded 42 catches for 532 yards and one touchdown on 73 targets. Entering 2026, Worthy profiles as the Chiefs' WR2 behind only the highly unreliable Rashee Rice (knee), who is currently recovering from knee surgery and may be facing another league suspension. If Worthy takes a step forward in his age-23 season, he could emerge as the go-to weapon for Chiefs quarterback Patrick Mahomes. However, Worthy was unable to establish himself last season, when Rice missed nine games. Worthy has explosive speed, but he's averaged a highly underwhelming 1.25 yards per route run for his NFL career to this point. He certainly has upside, but Worthy may be overvalued as the 48th wide receiver off the board by current redraft ADP.

The Athletic's Jesse Newell writes that new running back Kenneth Walker III's "work ethic and no-nonsense style have already been an early culture fit" this offseason alongside Kansas City Chiefs offensive coordinator Eric Bieniemy. The Chiefs paid up for Walker in free agency on a three-year deal, hoping that he'll add an explosive element to their running game that was sorely lacking in 2025 with the combination of Kareem Hunt and Isiah Pacheco. The infusion of Walker's work ethic and no-nonsense style has been welcomed after they believed "their work standard and attention to detail slipped" during last year's 6-11 campaign. The 25-year-old had his second 1,000-yard rushing season in four years in the NFL in his final season in Seattle, and he capped it off by being named Super Bowl MVP in the Seahawks' win over the New England Patriots back in early February. If Walker is used more as a pass-catcher in Bieniemy's offense, he'll have an even higher floor as an RB1 in fantasy, although his lengthy history of lower-body injuries also gives him plenty of bust potential. RotoBaller currently has Walker ranked as the No. 9 fantasy RB for his first year in KC in 2026.

The Kansas City Chiefs selected Nebraska running back Emmett Johnson in the fifth round of the 2026 NFL Draft, and while Super Bowl MVP and free-agent acquisition Kenneth Walker III is the obvious headliner in a completely revamped running back room, the rookie should not be discounted as a potential Year 1 contributor. Johnson was one of the most productive collegiate runners in the country in 2025, and his work as a pass-catcher could see him step into an early role if he's able to overtake the team's lone returning RB from a season ago, 2025 seventh-round pick Brashard Smith. Quarterback Patrick Mahomes II has seen his scramble rate increase in recent years, but after a season-ending ACL tear in 2025, he may become more reliant on checkdowns to his running backs as he continues to regain trust in his surgically repaired left knee. And with Walker's own checkered injury history, Johnson takes on added value as a potential insurance back in an offense looking to rebound from several uncharacteristically lean years. Johnson is at the very least a name to remember at the end of deeper 2026 drafts, and as RotoBaller's dynasty RB47, he could be viewed as an undervalued asset worth targeting as part of a larger trade.

Beginning with one of the most dominant fantasy seasons ever in his first year as a starter, Kansas City Chiefs quarterback Patrick Mahomes went on a five-year run that saw him finish as the QB4 or better four different times with bookending QB1 finishes. Since then, some of his most dangerous weapons have either moved on or slowed with age, and major philosophical changes in Kansas City have led to a statistical decline and the three worst fantasy seasons of his career. After leading one of the league's most aggressive offenses in his early seasons, Mahomes has seen his air yards drop from 8.6 yards per attempt to only 6.9 over his past three seasons. The more conservative approach has not necessarily led to more efficiency, as his touchdown-to-interception ratio also dropped by nearly half over that span. A saving grace for fantasy has been an increased scramble rate, which saw Mahomes rush for career highs of 422 yards and five touchdowns in 2025 despite playing in only 14 games before his season was ended by a torn ACL and LCL in his left knee. How much of his mobility returns when he gets back on the field could be the most crucial element in determining his fantasy value in 2026, as his pass catchers remain largely unchanged from previous seasons. Expected to return to 11-on-11 work as early as training camp, Mahomes' movement will be watched closely, but for now he is RotoBaller's QB13 for 2026.

Albert Breer of Sports Illustrated reports that Kansas City Chiefs quarterback Patrick Mahomes (knee) is "trending toward being cleared for 11-on-11 work at the start of training camp." The plan is for the Chiefs to be smart with Mahomes, but he has been present for installs, individual work, and seven-on-seven workouts in spring practices. His arm has looked good, even though his rehab for a torn ACL and LCL limited his throwing work over the last six months. The 30-year-old two-time MVP and six-time Pro Bowler is way ahead of the normal ACL/LCL rehab timeline, so barring a setback this summer, Mahomes is fully on track to be ready to roll for the Week 1 Monday night showdown against the division-rival Denver Broncos. It's all good news for Mahomes' fantasy value going into his 10th year in the NFL, but coming off a major knee surgery in a Chiefs offense that wasn't quite itself in 2025, fantasy managers would be wise to target him as more of a low-end QB1/high-end QB2 in 2026 instead of the high-end QB1 that he was earlier in his career. Mahomes has failed to reach the 4,000-yard mark in each of the last two seasons.

After a season in which the Kansas City Chiefs finished near the bottom of the league in rush attempts, rushing yards, and field-flipping runs, the team completely overhauled the running back position, leaving their lone returner from last season, Brashard Smith, fighting for a roster spot. A seventh-round pick in 2025, Smith finished his rookie season third on the team in running back carries and yards, but without a single back on the roster reaching four yards per carry, the Chiefs have since moved on from Kareem Hunt and Isiah Pacheco. Kansas City signed Super Bowl MVP Kenneth Walker III to a three-year, $43 million deal and spent a fifth-round pick on Nebraska's Emmett Johnson. Johnson was one of the most productive collegiate running backs in his class, and his abilities in the passing game could make Smith's role redundant. The Chiefs rounded out the room with veteran Emari Demercado, who has been one of the league's most efficient backs in his limited usage with the Cardinals. Likely sitting somewhere close to fourth on a depth chart topped by a player with true bell cow abilities, Smith is not a player who needs to be held in dynasty leagues, and he has fallen to RotoBaller's RB75.

When the Kansas City Chiefs sent a sixth-round pick to acquire veteran quarterback Justin Fields from the New York Jets, it opened a brief sell window for dynasty managers who have held the disappointing former first-round pick through his latest stints with the Jets and Steelers. Chiefs starting quarterback Patrick Mahomes tore his ACL in Week 15 of the 2025 season, and at the time of the trade, his availability to begin the year was in doubt, putting Fields in line to make a Week 1 start for his fourth team in as many seasons. Since then, optimism about Mahomes' recovery has led many to believe that the two-time MVP will be ready to start the year, and he and the Chiefs recently agreed to a reworked contract that added two years to his existing deal, making him the NFL's first half-billion-dollar man. While the chance of reinjury and Fields' own fantasy-friendly play style still keep the former Bear, Steeler, and Jet among the most valuable backup quarterbacks in superflex dynasty leagues, his overall value continues to dwindle year after year, and Fields is now RotoBaller's QB41.

Kansas City Chiefs quarterback Garrett Nussmeier has decent long-term upside as a potential handcuff option for Patrick Mahomes' fantasy managers. Mahomes is currently recovering from a torn ACL, so Justin Fields is expected to start Week 1. Nussmeier might be able to jump Fields on the depth chart, but more than likely, he'll be the primary backup until Mahomes returns. The LSU product was projected to be a mid-round pick, but fell to the Chiefs in the seventh round. Nussmeier didn't look great during his senior year, but threw for over 4,000 yards in 2024. Mahomes will eventually take his starting gig back, but who knows what kind of toll that torn ACL will take on his body long-term. Nussmeier isn't a bad stash option, given he could be one injury away from the starting job.

After being named the MVP of Super Bowl LX in February, running back Kenneth Walker III signed a three-year, $43 million contract with the Kansas City Chiefs in March. The 25-year-old has been a productive player over the past four years as a member of the Seattle Seahawks, averaging 1,140 scrimmage yards and seven touchdowns per season. However, he's never recorded more than 255 touches in a season and had his 2025 workload with the Seahawks impacted by the presence of Seattle back Zach Charbonnet (knee). In Kansas City, Walker III profiles as the clear number one back and should see all the touches he can handle. As long as he can stay healthy, Walker III may currently be undervalued in redraft formats as a lower-end RB1.

Kansas City Chiefs wide receiver Rashee Rice (knee) was released from Dallas County Jail on Tuesday morning after serving 30 days for a probation violation, according to Ari Meirov of The 33rd Team. After being released, Rice ran away from cameras and refused to speak to the media before being taken away in an SUV. In addition to more off-the-field issues this offseason for the 26-year-old, Rice had a clean-up surgery on his right knee in May, but head coach Andy Reid said he expects Rice to be ready for the start of training camp in late July. Barring a setback with his knee this summer, Rice should be ready for the start of the 2026 regular season in early September, although another potential suspension to begin the year hanging over his head will have fantasy managers hesitant to take him early in drafts. When active, Rice has clearly established himself as the WR1 in KC as quarterback Patrick Mahomes' (knee) favorite weapon, but injuries and off-the-field issues have limited him to just 12 regular-season starts in the last two years. The former second-rounder in 2023 out of SMU is a risk/reward, low-end WR2/high-end WR3 target in upcoming 2026 fantasy drafts.

Despite rampant speculation that he would retire following the 2025 season, Kansas City Chiefs tight end Travis Kelce is back for at least one more year in 2026. As he enters his age-37 season, Kelce is clearly no longer the elite force he once was at his peak. However, he remained a useful piece for fantasy managers in 2026, recording 76 catches for 851 yards and five touchdowns on 108 targets across 17 games. Kelce could presumably have a stronger offensive environment around him in Kansas City in 2026 if Chiefs quarterback Patrick Mahomes (knee) can play a fully healthy season. Additionally, the Chiefs once again look to be light on reliable pass-catching options outside of Kelce, particularly given wide receiver Rashee Rice's (knee) persistent struggles with both injury and off-field issues. Kelce's upside on a week-to-week basis is limited, but his current dynasty value may be undervaluing the solid production floor he can provide for win-now managers in 2026.

The Athletic's Jesse Newell writes that if the Kansas City Chiefs handed out an MVP award for their organized team activities this offseason, the recipient would have been wide receiver Xavier Worthy. And Worthy did it all while wearing a no-contact jersey while in the final stages of his recovery from a torn labrum that he suffered in 2025. "Xavier really had a nice camp," head coach Andy Reid said. The 5-foot-11, 165-pounder and former first-rounder in 2024 added strength in the offseason as part of the process while rehabbing from surgery in January to fix the torn labrum in his shoulder. Newell thinks there are plenty of reasons for optimism around Worthy in 2026 after he caught just 42 passes for 532 yards and one touchdown in 13 games a year ago. The 23-year-old tore his labrum on the first drive of Week 1, and he wasn't the same weapon afterward. Reid admitted in March that the coaches changed Worthy's role late in the year to shield him from further injury. His shoulder is close to 100% and is improving daily. RotoBaller currently has Worthy ranked as the No. 45 WR for 2026, but if Rashee Rice (knee) faces another suspension, his draft stock will receive a huge boost.

After a highly productive career at the University of Nebraska, running back Emmett Johnson was selected by the Kansas City Chiefs in the fifth round of the 2026 NFL Draft. Johnson dominated the Big Ten in 2025, recording 1,821 scrimmage yards and 15 touchdowns on 297 touches across 12 games. His path to the starting job with the Chiefs is blocked by running back Kenneth Walker III, whom Kansas City signed to a big-money deal in free agency in March. However, Johnson could emerge as the team's RB2 in 2026 if he can beat out fellow Kansas City backs Emari Demercado and Brashard Smith. Walker III was fully healthy in 2025, but he missed 10 games over the first three seasons of his NFL career from 2022 to 2024. If Johnson establishes himself as the primary backup running back for the Chiefs, his three-down skill set makes him a high-end handcuff option for fantasy managers. In dynasty formats, Johnson's stock is rising entering his rookie campaign.

The Kansas City Chiefs and star quarterback Patrick Mahomes (knee) are both "leaning into this Week 1 possibility" that he'll be ready to go for the first Monday night game of the 2026 season against the division-rival Denver Broncos, according to Jeremy Fowler of ESPN. Mahomes has made great progress this offseason while recovering from surgery to fix ACL and LCL tears that he suffered on Dec. 14 last year against the Los Angeles Chargers. The 30-year-old two-time MVP has been taking part in seven-on-seven drills during offseason workouts, but the next step will be for him to be cleared for contact and to participate in 11-on-11 team drills. Running and cutting will be a focal point for Mahomes over the next weeks and months as he attempts to regain his patented mobility. Head coach Andy Reid is optimistic that Mahomes will progress in training camp next month, and Mahomes would like to get a dress rehearsal during the preseason to test his surgically-repaired knee. KC added Justin Fields as insurance at the position, but all signs are pointing to Mahomes being ready for the regular-season opener. Nobody should be doubting Mahomes at this point in his career, but fantasy managers should also be tempering expectations as he returns from a major knee injury. It's best to target Mahomes as a high-end QB2 in 2026 fantasy drafts.

When asked if wide receiver Rashee Rice (knee) will be ready for the start of training camp in late July, Kansas City Chiefs head coach Andy Reid said, "I think he will be. He gets out [of jail] next week. We'll see where it goes. He'll be back up here and working." Rice has had another rough offseason, violating his probation and being sentenced to 30 days in jail due to a positive test for marijuana. In addition to ongoing legal trouble, the 26-year-old had arthroscopic surgery on his right knee to remove loose bodies, keeping him out of organized team activities this offseason. It sounds like Rice's knee surgery won't prevent him from being ready for a Monday night affair in Week 1 of the 2026 regular season against the division-rival Denver Broncos, but another potential suspension hanging over his head has caused him to fall to No. 22 in RotoBaller's WR rankings for the upcoming campaign. The former second-round pick in 2023 out of SMU is KC's clear WR1 when he's available, but he's played in just 12 games in the last two seasons due to suspension and injury. Rice showed his true upside in 2023 in his rookie year, catching 79 of his 102 targets for 938 yards and seven touchdowns in 16 regular-season games (eight starts).