Kansas City Chiefs News

Kansas City Chiefs wide receiver Cyrus Allen was taking first-team reps during Wednesday's practice. The fifth-round rookie was out there with Xavier Worthy, Tyquan Thornton, and Jalen Royals taking first-team reps during the first practice of training camp. Afterwards, head coach Andy Reid praised Allen for his work during Wednesday's practice. It sounds like Allen made the most of his chances, while Royals struggled with drops. It's only the beginning of camp, but Allen is someone to keep an eye on right now. The 23-year-old could be an interesting dynasty stash if he continues playing well.

Kansas City Chiefs wide receiver Xavier Worthy still offers game-breaking speed and a valuable connection with Patrick Mahomes, but his current redraft cost requires fantasy managers to project a breakout that has not yet arrived. Worthy followed a promising rookie season of 59 receptions, 638 yards, and six receiving touchdowns with 42 catches for 532 yards and one score on 73 targets across 14 games in 2025. A dislocated right shoulder suffered on the third offensive snap of the season cost him two games, and the Chiefs reported that he was among their most productive players during the 2026 offseason program. Still, Worthy averaged only 5.2 targets per game even though Rashee Rice appeared in eight contests, producing 53 receptions for 571 yards and five touchdowns. Worthy's career mark of 1.25 yards per route run also leaves questions about whether he can earn enough consistent volume to support his ceiling. Current redraft ADP places him at WR48, which already prices in meaningful improvement. Worthy remains a worthwhile upside pick, but he is better treated as a volatile depth receiver than a priority breakout target.

Kansas City Chiefs wide receiver Xavier Worthy (shoulder) is wearing a red jersey at training camp and not a yellow no-contact jersey that he wore during offseason workouts, according to Sam McDowell of The Kansas City Star. The 23-year-old had surgery in January to fix a torn labrum in his shoulder, which he suffered in the Week 1 season opener last year against the Los Angeles Chargers. Worthy has been impressing the coaching staff in the offseason and looks to be without restrictions as he prepares for the 2026 campaign. The 5-foot-11, 165-pound speedster was not himself in 2025 after his early-season shoulder injury, and he finished with a disappointing 42-532-1 line in 14 games after catching 59 passes for 638 yards and six touchdowns in 17 regular-season games in 2024 as a rookie. Head coach Andy Reid admitted that the Chiefs couldn't use Worthy in his regular role on offense for most of last year because of his shoulder injury. With better health in 2026, Worthy is a clear bounce-back candidate for fantasy managers at the low cost of a WR4/flex later in drafts. RotoBaller currently has him ranked as the No. 43 WR for the 2026 season.

Kansas City Chiefs quarterback Patrick Mahomes (knee) is doing 11-on-11 drills at the start of training camp this week, according to Matt McMullen of Chiefs.com. Mahomes is a full-go for the start of camp despite tearing his ACL and LCL late last season. The 30-year-old has made excellent strides in his rehab during the offseason, and there's no reason to believe at this point that he won't be ready for the Week 1 showdown on Monday night against the division-rival Denver Broncos, barring a setback this summer. It will be interesting to see whether the Chiefs give Mahomes the clearance to play in any preseason games, but for now, this is a pretty significant development and a positive sign for Mahomes early in camp. The two-time MVP and six-time Pro Bowler will be looking to lead his team back to the postseason in 2026 after the offense has grown a bit stagnant in recent years. With receivers Rashee Rice and Xavier Worthy both healthy, though, Mahomes could be ready for a bounce-back after throwing for 3,587 yards, 22 touchdowns, and 11 picks in 14 starts in 2025. Mahomes is quickly becoming a more attractive low-end QB1 target in redraft leagues.

Kansas City Chiefs tight end Noah Gray remains more valuable to his real-life team than to most dynasty managers. He played 545 offensive snaps last season, nearly half of Kansas City's total, but turned 37 targets into only 21 catches for 178 yards without a touchdown. That came one year after he posted career highs with 40 receptions, 437 yards, and five scores. The drop was not about getting pushed off the field. Gray simply did not see enough useful targets to repeat the fantasy production. Kansas City still lists him among its primary tight ends entering camp, but Travis Kelce remains the clear focus after catching 76 passes for 851 yards and five touchdowns in 2025. Jared Wiley is also entering his third season after playing only 28 offensive snaps last year. Gray can stay on deep contending rosters, particularly in tight end-premium leagues or as insurance for Kelce managers. Rebuilders have little reason to wait on a 27-year-old whose best season still produced modest volume. He is a hold in very deep formats, not a dynasty target.

Kansas City Chiefs wide receiver Rashee Rice (knee) has been cleared for the start of training camp next week, head coach Andy Reid told Matt McMullen of Chiefs.com. Rice will be ready to rock, along with star quarterback Patrick Mahomes (knee), in training camp practices next week after he had a minor clean-up procedure on his right knee in May. As long as the 26-year-old former second-rounder in 2023 out of SMU isn't in anymore danger of being suspended by the league to begin the 2026 season, his ADP should continue to rise after playing in just 12 regular-season games the last two years combined due to injuries and suspension. Rice caught 79 of his 102 targets for 938 yards and seven touchdowns in 16 games (eight starts) as a rookie, and he has clear WR1 upside as Mahomes' top target if he can stay active for an entire season again. The Chiefs will be leaning on the Mahomes-Rice connection a ton if both players are healthy in 2026. Right now, Rice is a bargain based on his current WR2 ADP, but that could change fast now that he's fully healthy for training camp.

Updating a previous report, Kansas City Chiefs head coach Andy Reid said on Friday that quarterback Patrick Mahomes (knee) has been fully cleared to participate in the start of training camp practices next week, according to Ari Meirov of The 33rd Team. A previous report from ESPN's Jeremy Fowler suggested that Mahomes was hoping to take part in 11-on-11 team work next week after being limited to seven-on-seven drills during the offseason program while rehabbing a torn ACL and LCL in his left knee from late last season. It appears that Mahomes has gotten the clearance. The 30-year-old three-time Super Bowl MVP and two-time regular-season MVP still has boxes to check, but barring a setback during camp and the preseason, he figures to be KC's starting QB for Week 1 against the division-rival Denver Broncos on Monday Night Football. Going up against Denver's stout defense out of the gates will be a good test of Mahomes' health if he plays. We've learned not to bet against Mahomes at this point, but his redraft and dynasty stock going into 2026 is as low as it's ever been as he returns from a serious knee injury. Draft him as a low-end QB1 with upside if the Chiefs' offense can bounce back.

ESPN's Jeremy Fowler reports that Kansas City Chiefs quarterback Patrick Mahomes (knee) is hoping to take part in 11-on-11 team drills when the team starts up training camp practices next week. Mahomes' rehab from a torn ACL and LCL in his left knee late last season has gone well this offseason, but he was limited to seven-on-seven work during the offseason program. Regardless of what Mahomes does on the field this summer, Fowler says that the Chiefs are going to be extra cautious with the star signal-caller. The 30-year-old two-time MVP and six-time Pro Bowler wants to eventually get back into a normal practice routine, and he still would like to get some action in a preseason game as well before being a full-go for the Week 1 regular-season opener on Monday night against the division-rival Denver Broncos. Mahomes has yet to be cleared for 11-on-11 work in camp, and he has some boxes to check before being ready for the season opener in early September, but all signs right now point to him having a realistic shot to get there. Coming off a serious knee injury in a Chiefs offense that is looking to regain its identity, Mahomes is considered a low-end QB1 in fantasy with more risk than ever before.

On a per-game basis, Kansas City Chiefs wide receiver Rashee Rice has become one of the most consistently dominant fantasy performers, though unfortunately consistency is not often a word associated with the fourth-year player. Injuries and suspension have caused Rice to miss 22 of his team's last 30 games, though he finished as a top 10 fantasy receiver in five of his eight appearances in 2025, four times topping 19.5 half-PPR points. Dating back to the end of his rookie season, Rice has scored at least 14 points in 12 of his last 18 games, twice falling short of that mark in games he left early with injury. The Chiefs made no drastic changes to their wide receiver room this offseason, and with two-time MVP Patrick Mahomes II potentially wanting to get the ball out quickly as he regains trust in his surgically repaired left knee, Rice could again see heavy volume as a trusted underneath target. At RotoBaller's WR16, it's possible that Rice's off-field concerns and checkered injury history are shading his draft profile more than the product he's actually delivered when on the field, and he could prove to be one of the biggest steals of 2026 drafts.

Joshua Brisco of Sports Illustrated writes that it's clear that Kansas City Chiefs wide receiver Tyquan Thornton is a starter in three-wide sets this year alongside Rashee Rice and Xavier Worthy. Thornton played in the first 14 games last season in his first year with the Chiefs before suffering a season-ending concussion. The 25-year-old former second-rounder by the New England Patriots in 2022 from Baylor caught 19 of his 37 targets for a career-high 438 yards and three touchdowns in his 14 games (four starts) last year. Thornton played 33% of the team's offensive snaps when he was healthy, and Brisco writes that the Chiefs are likely to put Thornton "on the field much more consistently" in 2026. Barring injury, Thornton definitely has a clearer path to more snaps with both JuJu Smith-Schuster and Hollywood Brown no longer in town. But as long as Rice and Worthy are healthy and not suspended, Thornton could still struggle for weekly fantasy value in a Chiefs offense that has been lackluster in recent seasons. RotoBaller currently has him ranked as the No. 114 fantasy WR, so he'll be ignored in all 12-team fantasy drafts.

While long gone are the league-winning days of a sustained fantasy peak as high as the tight end position has ever seen, veteran Travis Kelce remains an important piece of the Kansas City Chiefs' offense, and he has become an overlooked value in the late rounds of 2026 drafts. Across three down years by his own lofty standards, Kelce has finished as the TE3, the TE6, and the TE3 since 2023, topping 75 catches and 800 receiving yards in all three seasons. The Chiefs are anticipating a return to form from wide receiver Rashee Rice after he's missed 22 games over the past two seasons due to injury and suspension. Still, the core of Kansas City's pass catchers remains relatively unchanged, and Kelce should continue to serve as one of Patrick Mahomes II's most trusted outlets as the two-time MVP regains confidence in his surgically repaired left knee. With a recent inflow of talented young players at the position, Kelce is no longer a threat to claim the top spot for fantasy, but as RotoBaller's TE12, he's a safe bet to outperform ADP expectations once again while providing one of the highest weekly floors in the league.

New Kansas City Chiefs running back Kenneth Walker III finished the 2026 season with the Seattle Seahawks as just the No. 22 fantasy RB in half-PPR scoring after running for 1,027 yards and five rushing touchdowns in 17 regular-season starts, adding 31 receptions (36 targets) for 282 yards as a pass-catcher. But he went off in the postseason, leading the NFL in carries (65), rushing yards (313), and rushing touchdowns (four) on his way to being named Super Bowl MVP, and he parlayed that into a three-year deal with the Chiefs in free agency in March. Unlike in 2025 when he shared backfield touches with Zach Charbonnet, the 25-year-old former second-rounder out of Michigan State figures to be used as more of a true workhorse in his new digs as the Chiefs look to get back to the playoffs in 2026. Walker earned a reputation for being a run-first back in his four years with the Seahawks, but he suggested that the Chiefs could use him more as a pass-catcher, with rookie Emmett Johnson, Emari Demercado, and Brashard Smith vying for backup duties behind him. Walker also had a reputation for nagging lower-body injuries in Seattle. The volume increase in KC will give him a higher floor as more of a low-end RB1 target in 2026 fantasy drafts, but his injury history will also make him somewhat of an RB1 bust candidate in his first year in the AFC West.

Kansas City Chiefs running back Emmett Johnson could be a sneaky stash option for fantasy managers this season. The Chiefs selected the Nebraska running back in the fourth-round of this year's draft. The expectation is that the rookie back is going to compete for the backup role with Brashard Smith and Emari Demercado. The Chiefs signed Kenneth Walker III to be the workhorse back in Kansas City for years to come. His presence is going to diminish Johnson's overall upside. It's noteworthy that Walker has only played one full season since making his debut in 2022. Fantasy managers should view Johnson as an interesting handcuff candidate give Walker's injury history. The rookie back is certainly someone to look at in the middle rounds of dynasty rookie drafts.

As he enters his sixth season in 2026, Kansas City Chiefs quarterback Justin Fields will be suiting up for his fourth NFL team. The 27-year-old opened the 2025 season as the starter for the New York Jets, but he struggled mightily across nine starts before eventually being benched. At this point, the high-end prospect pedigree that followed Fields in the early portion of his career is likely gone. Still, Fields has proven to be an elite rushing quarterback when given the chance to play, which allows him to maintain some fantasy appeal. Across 59 career NFL games (53 starts), Fields has rushed for nearly 2,900 yards and 23 touchdowns. As long as Chiefs quarterback Patrick Mahomes (knee) stays healthy this season, Fields has no path to fantasy production. However, with Mahomes returning from a torn ACL, Fields could be worth targeting in the late rounds of deeper two-quarterback leagues as a handcuff option.

Kansas City Chiefs running back Brashard Smith showed enough as a rookie to remain interesting, but the path to a larger role has become crowded. The former college receiver played all 17 games, making one start, and finished with 44 carries for 151 yards. He was more useful through the air, catching 25 passes for 172 yards and a touchdown. Kansas City finally gave him extended backfield work in Week 18, when he handled 12 carries for 56 yards and added two receptions. That was encouraging, but it was also the first time all year the Chiefs treated him like a featured runner. Kenneth Walker III now sits at the front of a rebuilt room, with Emari Demercado and fifth-round rookie Emmett Johnson joining Smith behind him. Johnson caught 46 passes during his final season at Nebraska, so Smith does not have the passing-down job to himself. His experience at receiver and 5-foot-10, 196-pound build still make him a possible space player in Andy Reid's offense. Managers already rostering Smith can wait through training camp. He is not a priority target for contenders or rebuilders, and there is not enough of a 2026 role to treat him as a redraft sleeper.

After three disappointing years in New England, Kansas City Chiefs wide receiver Tyquan Thornton enjoyed the most productive season of his young career in 2025, serving as the primary vertical threat in a Chiefs offense that has stagnated in recent years. Since the departure of Tyreek Hill in 2022, two-time MVP quarterback Patrick Mahomes II had seen his air yards per attempt on a steady decline, and while that number sat at only 7.0 in 2025, it still represented a slight uptick over his previous two seasons. While he caught only 19 passes in his first season with the Chiefs, Thornton was easily the most explosive piece of an offense whose most reliable playmakers tended to operate underneath, averaging more than 23 yards per reception and adding three touchdowns to his 438 yards. The team's most impactful receiver, Rashee Rice, is expected to be cleared of the legal situation for which he already served a six-game suspension, while 2024 first-round pick Xavier Worthy should be healthier after a frustrating, injury-marred sophomore campaign, but neither possesses Thornton's ability to consistently stretch the field. While his production may come in more unpredictable spurts, Thornton should benefit from further developed chemistry with Mahomes, and he is a worthwhile selection in the later rounds of 2026 best ball drafts.

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.