2025 Kansas City Chiefs Fantasy Preview
The Chiefs won another AFC title, but the humiliating blowout loss to the Eagles in Super Bowl LIX. Andy Reid somehow got 17 wins out of a team that regressed to 17th in total offense and scored just 22.6 points per game. Kansas City’s defense, however, was exemplary. For fantasy football, the main concern is if this regression is permanent or if the Chiefs can rebound after two ‘down’ seasons for Patrick Mahomes.
After posting overall QB1 numbers in 2022, Mahomes barely qualified as a QB1 in 2025. He posted his fewest passing yards (3,928) and touchdowns (26) since becoming a starter. With a promising second-year class of signal-callers, Mahomes is no longer a locked-in top-5 fantasy option. Instead, he should be viewed as a solid QB1, but no longer one for fantasy managers to go out of their way to target early on draft day.
Kansas City’s backfield will be productive, but not necessarily in a predictive manner for fantasy purposes. Kareem Hunt re-signed, which indicates the committee backfield with Isiah Pacheco will continue. Additionally, the addition of Elijah Mitchell adds another player to the mix. Pacheco’s stock has plummeted, making him and Hunt mere late-round fliers.
Overall, Kansas City’s receiving corps has three fantasy options worth targeting and offers some hope that the powerhouse offenses we’re accustomed to can return.
The Chiefs re-signed Marquise Brown, who missed most of the 2024 campaign. Rashee Rice got off to a fast start before tearing his LCL in Week 4. Rice is expected to be fully recovered and ready to resume his role as KC’s No. 1 wideout. 2024 first-rounder Xavier Worthy produced nine touchdowns but never hit 80 receiving yards in a regular-season tilt. Rookie Jalen Royals and veteran Juju Smith-Schuster will vie for reserve roles.
Gone are the days of TE Travis Kelce carrying fantasy squads to titles. Kelce, who turns 35 in October, is on a three-year slide in receptions, yards, touchdowns, and yards after catch. He should still be viewed as a fantasy TE1, but the days of dominating with Mahomes/Kelce stacks appear firmly in the past.
No. 2 tight end Noah Gray has made strides in each of his four NFL seasons and could factor into Kansas City’s weekly game plan. Gray offers plenty of late-round sleeper appeal for fantasy managers with deeper rosters.
Fantasy Grade: B-
One down season is a coincidence, but Patrick Mahomes has now had two rather disappointing campaigns. Granted, he set the bar incredibly high, but we’re starting to wonder if this is who Mahomes is now. His yardage, touchdowns, adjusted completion rate, and yards per attempt have all declined in three consecutive years. Despite an improved supporting cast, Mahomes bottomed out in 2024, finishing as QB11. With most of the same group back, it’s now hard to see Mahomes rebounding to his previous glory days. Instead, view him for what he has been recently: a decent QB1 who lacks a path to top-5 numbers.
If Patrick Mahomes misses time, Minshew will be in a prime position to throw three touchdowns and two interceptions a week. A name to keep in mind in really deep Superflex formats.
Isiah Pacheco was a hot commodity last summer but had a forgettable, injury-marred season (fractured fibula, 310 rushing yards, one TD in seven games). He got 41 touches in KC’s first two games before sitting out until Week 13. Once he returned, Pacheco was clearly behind Kareem Hunt. With Hunt back in Kansas City, Andy Reid will resort to a committee backfield, with Elijah Mitchell also in play. Pacheco’s high-energy style gives him the most potential, but Hunt’s presence means fantasy managers should approach this backfield with caution.
Hunt took over as Kansas City’s main back after Isiah Pacheco fractured his fibula in Week 2. Andy Reid re-signed Hunt fairly early in the off-season, indicating that he will have a role with the Chiefs in 2025. Hunt has lost his burst, accounting for just 2.86 yards created per touch (51st) and ranking 41st in explosive play rate (71.4). But he did rack up 50 red-zone touches and will play valuable snaps in a high-octane Chiefs’ offense. That gives Hunt RB4/flex value.
RB Smith, Brashard, KC [RB3] Sleeper
As for the question of which KC back fantasy zealots should target, take a late-round stab on Brashard Smith. Smith’s usage in the passing game is intriguing, and he’s been seen throughout OTAs lining up in the slot. He racked up 1,659 yards and 18 scores last year and caught 108 passes in college. He also blazed a 4.39 40, making him an interesting weapon in Andy Reid’s offense.
Read more about Smith in Jody Smith’s Preseason Pro.
ADVICE: After three injury-marred seasons in San Francisco, where he averaged 4.7 yards per carry, Mitchell has an opportunity to carve out a valuable role in a Kansas City backfield that is decidedly unsettled. Solid late-round target in deeper leagues.
Rashee Rice was off to a blistering start in 2024 before a knee injury ended his second season in Week 3. The good news on that front is that Rice did not tear his ACL and is already participating in OTAs. Before the injury, Rice looked like a WR1, averaging 96 receiving yards per game and scoring twice. Year Three breakouts are a popular target for fantasy managers, and Rice is shaping up to have his first 1,000-yard season. UPDATE: Rice is looking at a 4-6 game suspension THIS YEAR, which complicates his fantasy outlook.
Xavier Worthy had a solid rookie season, scoring nine total touchdowns and finishing as the overall WR33. However, Worthy ranked just 38th in targets and scored single-digit fantasy points in 10 of his 16 games. Now, he’s competing for targets with a returning Rashee Rice, who is the clear No. 1 receiver, and a healthy Hollywood Brown. Andy Reid found creative ways to use Worthy, which gives Worthy value in one of the league’s best offenses. However, he’s a bit of a boom-or-bust pick in the WR3 range.
It was a good sign that the Chiefs quickly re-signed Hollywood Brown to a one-year, $11 million deal. Brown hurt his shoulder in the preseason and missed most of the regular season. He did catch nine balls in the two games he played, but we did not see Brown used as a deep threat. He offers massive big-play ability in that role, but playing third wheel to Xavier Worthy and Rashee Rice will limit his looks. Kansas City only used three-wide sets on 47.8 percent of their snaps last season- 27th in the league.
WR Smith-Schuster, JuJu, KC [WR5]
The Chiefs re-signed Smith-Schuster, but he’ll see competition for WR4 duties. He’d need an injury ahead of him to have any sort of fantasy value as a weak streamer.
TE Kelce, Travis, KC [TE1] Bust
Father Time catches up to the best of us. 36 this season, Travis Kelce’s days of dominating the position are over. Now, fantasy managers have to wonder if Kelce will even be a TE1. Nearly all of his metrics are on a three or four-year decline, including yards per catch, yards after catch, missed tackles forced, and yards per route run. He simply can’t make plays downfield like he used to, and he only caught three touchdowns despite having a position-best 26 red-zone targets. It was fun while it lasted.
TE Gray, Noah, KC [TE2] Super Sleeper
ADVICE: Travis Kelce is fading fast, and it isn’t inconceivable to see Gray take on a bigger share of KC’s tight end targets. Gray ranked 8th with a 120.8 QB Rating when targeted in 2024. A deep sleeper to consider in TE premium formats.
Butker had his worst season, on and off the field. Injuries played a part, but Butker had uncharacteristic issues with accuracy (missed four FG and two XP). Additionally, his commencement address also missed the mark. The Chiefs have been off for a couple of seasons now, so Butker is no longer a locked-in top-6 option.
The KC stop unit had its lowest fantasy output in 10 years. They dropped down to just 39 sacks and 20 turnovers. Steve Spagnulo remains one of the top defensive coordinators in the game, so we expect the Chiefs’ stop unit to rebound.
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