As a 49ers fan, I will keep this short: the Chiefs are world champions. Boo, hiss, etc., etc. But, they have a lot of question marks on their offense this year. They had the high-profile additions of Xavier Worthy and Marquise Brown that will change the face of their offense, and the even more high-profile offseason dunderhead moves of Rashee Rice leave the offense with significant question marks. That’s even before you get into the fact that Travis Kelce had literally the best tight end season of his age or older last year, and people were screeching about a Taylor Swift Curse. Let’s dive into the overvalued and undervalued fantasy football options on the 2024 Kansas City Chiefs, as well as one sleeper for your leagues!
Overvalued: Marquise “Hollywood” Brown, Wide Receiver (WR33, Pick 67 Overall)
I’m still not sold on Hollywood Brown, and I’m sold even less on the third option in the Chiefs passing game ever amounting to anything. With Rashee Rice likely facing just a handful of games thanks to his real-life GTA5 antics, Brown will likely start the season as the de facto #2 target in the offense, behind pop superstar beau/first-ballot hall of fame tight end Travis Kelce. But, once Rice returns, where does that leave Hollywood? Unfortunately, we’ve seen this show before in Kansas City, with Skyy Moore, Kadarius Toney, MVS, and Mecole Hardman. They were all supposed to replace the Tyreek Hill role in this offense when in reality, that role no longer exists. It’s far more likely that Hollywood Brown turns out to be a better-in-real-life receiver than a fantasy football stud
Undervalued: Rashee Rice, Wide Receiver (WR37, Pick 79 Overall)
Rashee Rice spent the end of the 2023 season going thermonuclear, finishing the year on an absolute tear. In the last six weeks of the season, he averaged 9 targets, 7 receptions, 86 yards, and half a touchdown per game. He developed into the fantasy monster that I hoped he would be. Then, in the offseason, he turned into a complete moron. People are letting Rice fall, assuming that he is going to eat some sort of significant suspension from his myriad of offseason incidents, but there’s nothing about the NFL’s suspension history that suggests that he will get the book thrown at him.
Alvin Kamara received three games for his role in a Las Vegas attack on a man, and if you exclude Mychal Kendricks’ suspension for insider trading, then the last decade of Personal Conduct Policy violation suspensions (23 instances) averages just about 3 games per suspension (3.13 to be exact). The most received were both six games for domestic violence (Ezekiel Elliott and Josh Brown). While Rice was stupid and callous, the precedent isn’t there to give him a significant suspension. Take the price drop on Rashee Rice and laugh all the way to the bank as he becomes the short area target for Patrick Mahomes.
Sleeper: Clyde Edwards-Helaire, Running Back (RB70, Pick 241 Overall)
The Chiefs are extremely thin behind Isiah Pacheco, with just CEH, Deneric Prince, Keaontay Ingram, and Louis Rees-Zammit behind him on the Chiefs’ depth chart. Edwards-Helaire is the easy selection here to be the designated RB1 when Pacheco goes down. But, it isn’t that cut-and-dry to choose CEH, either. The Chiefs split RB2 duties between CEH and an as-yet unsigned Jerick McKinnon last season, with the two backs combining for an average of 4.14 targets and 6.42 carries per game across the season. That might not sound like a lot, but should those all go to Edwards-Helaire, that’s 70 targets, and 110 carries throughout the season. Edwards-Helaire is basically free, and he’s stepping into a situation where even with a healthy Pacheco, he’s staring at 180 or so opportunities. If Pacheco goes down, he has immediate flex appeal, as well. You don’t have to draft CEH, just put a knowing eye in his direction in your 2024 fantasy football drafts.
