Jul 26, 2024; Kansas City, MO, USA; Kansas City Chiefs wide receiver Marquise “Hollywood” Brown (5) and wide receiver Xavier Worthy (1) walk down the hill from the locker room to the fields during training camp at Missouri Western State University. Mandatory Credit: Denny Medley-Imagn Images Denny Medley-Imagn Images

Chiefs WR Flying Up Fantasy Draft Boards After Recent News

Originally posted on Kansas City Chiefs on SI
By Andy Quach | Last updated Aug 16, 2025 8:00 AM ET

The Kansas City Chiefs recently received news that could shake up the 2025 NFL season, and, perhaps even more so, the fantasy football campaign. The Chiefs are looking to bounce back on offense this year. They were able to get back to the Super Bowl against the Philadelphia Eagles, but ultimately, their warts all showed on the big stage.

With Patrick Mahomes under center and Head Coach Andy Reid on the sidelines, there's always a chance that Kansas City can go nuclear on offense. However, those performances were fewer and farther in between in 2024. Last season, they only surpassed 400 total yards once, compared to eight times in 2022.

If anything, they learned against the Eagles that their team is at its best when Mahomes and the offense are leading the way. They were set to surround him with their deepest host of weapons since 2022 before news broke that Rashee Rice will undergo a hearing from the NFL on September 30 that will likely result in his suspension, with speculation that it could hold him out for eight weeks.

Xavier Worthy is looking like a fantasy WR1 with Rashee Rice facing suspension

Rashee Rice will be available for the Kansas City Chiefs' first four games of the 2025 NFL campaign, at least. The question now is, how many weeks will he be suspended? A harsh enough ruling could make him unavailable for the remainder of the fantasy football regular season.

It was only natural that this news would impact his draft stock. However, it's also affecting the outlook for the two Chiefs wide receivers below him on the depth chart: Xavier Worthy and Marquise "Hollywood" Brown.

Last season, with Rice injured, Worthy emerged as Kansas City's new WR1, finishing the year with 59 catches for 638 yards and six touchdown receptions. He was also prominently featured in Head Coach Andy Reid's trick plays, garnering 20 total carries for 104 yards and three scores.

Considering the likelihood of Rice missing an extended period next season, the Chiefs could be looking to establish Worthy as their primary receiver from Week 1. Fantasy drafters have grown increasingly optimistic about his outlook, as his average draft position now sits at 54, just one spot below Rice. As the regular season approaches and more drafts take place, it wouldn't be surprising to see him overtake Rice altogether.

All fantasy draft positions and stats via Fantasy Pros on a 17-game, full-PPR basis

This article first appeared on Kansas City Chiefs on SI and was syndicated with permission.

More must-reads: