Kansas City Chiefs Fantasy Football News | Shark Bites

The Chiefs expect WR Kadarius Toney (knee) to play in the season opener vs. the Lions, GM Brett Veach said Monday. Toney injured his knee on the first day of camp, underwent surgery, and has been sidelined since. He's unlikely to practice much before Week 1 and won't be a bankable fantasy play in that one. But being out there for the opener would be a win for Toney -- and potentially make him a fantasy option starting in Week 2.

Chiefs RB Isiah Pacheco has yet to shed his non-contact jersey at training camp. The team is taking is easy on Pacheco, who underwent offseason shoulder surgery. NFL Network’s James Palmer tweeted recently that Pacheco “should be cleared for contact” by August 20. The second-year rusher carries a reasonable Underdog Fantasy ADP of RB30.

Chiefs WR Justyn Ross had a good start to training camp and has kept the momentum rolling. "You can tell he's been in the offense for a year now," QB Patrick Mahomes said. "He's obviously making big plays and he's getting more involved in those first-team reps." HC Andy Reid added that Ross has "done a nice job, had a good offseason, and then he's worked his tail off here." Ross is looking like a good bet to make the Chiefs' 53-man roster and is worth considering as a late-round flier in fantasy drafts.

NFL Network's James Palmer reports that Chiefs RB Isiah Pacheco is expected to be fully cleared by August 20. He underwent offseason surgeries on his hand and shoulder. The hand has been cleared, per Palmer, but the shoulder is still a couple of weeks away. Pacheco has been participating in training camp with a non-contact jersey. It sounds like he'll be full-go by the time we get to Week 1.

Chiefs QB Patrick Mahomes talked up rookie RB Deneric Prince. "He can catch the ball in the backfield, he can run the ball really well, and he’s getting better and better with the protection stuff,” Mahomes said. “So I think they’re just continuing to get him reps. We’re going to have a deep RB room.” Per reporter Pete Sweeney, Prince "seemed" to see an increase in first-team reps on Wednesday. We should get an extended look at the 23-year-old in preseason action.

Arrowhead Pride's Pete Sweeney believes RB Deneric Prince "should be written in ink on the Chiefs’ 53 [-man roster]." Prince is "locked in as the kick returner" and has continued to impress in the passing game. The undrafted rookie had a buzzy spring and has carried that momentum into training camp. We'll see if he continues ascending throughout the preseason. For now, Prince is still more of a dynasty stash than redraft target. But we're keeping a close eye on him.

The Athletic's Nate Taylor lists WR Justyn Ross as one of the "risers" from the first few days of Chiefs training camp. Ross has been getting first-team work with QB Patrick Mahomes. “He’s a bigger receiver, but when you watch him, he really excels at route running,” OC Matt Nagy said of Ross. “He’s learning his timing, for Pat to understand how he runs routes. It’s going to be immense growth for him, in a good way.” Ross missed his entire rookie season with a foot injury but had a buzzy spring. WR Kadarius Toney's knee injury opens up more opportunity for Ross to carve out an early-season role. We'll continue to keep a close eye on this wide-open Chiefs WR corps.

Chiefs OC Matt Nagy gave his take on rookie WR Rashee Rice. “[Rice] comes from a no-huddle offense (Southern Methodist University). Yet it’s a little bit different with the tempo here and now, a huddle play,” Nagy explained. “Getting to the line of scrimmage, running your route, having conversions with it and yet being on time, jogging back and doing it again… He came in phenomenal shape here to this training camp — and I think every day, he’s made incremental improvements. It’s exciting for us because the sky’s the roof for his talent.” The Round 2 pick projects in a rotational role out of the gate, but there are snaps up for grabs in the Chiefs’ WR corps.

Chiefs reporter Pete Sweeney writes that the connection between QB Patrick Mahomes and WR Skyy Moore “seems to be getting better every day.” Moore looks poised for a prominent early-season role given the recent injury to Kadarius Toney. A Year 2 leap into WR3 range is within Moore’s range of outcomes.

Chiefs HC Andy Reid revealed Tuesday that WR Kadarius Toney has had surgery to clean up the cartilage in his troublesome knee. It's the same knee in which Toney had another "cleanup" procedure this offseason. Reid says "there's a chance" Toney could be ready for the start of the regular season. That means you shouldn't bet on him being there. Look for Toney to slide down our WR rankings. His absence through camp and preseason action will present opportunity in a WR corps with roles up for grabs. Just watch the ADP moves on players such as Skyy Moore and Rashee Rice, to see if anyone starts getting into overvalued range. We'll keep our eyes on reports of roles and summer performances.

Chiefs WR Kadarius Toney is expected to be ready for the regular season opener, per ESPN’s Adam Schefter. Toney underwent an offseason “cleanup procedure” on the knee he aggravated on Sunday. With Toney sidelined, look for Sky Moore’s ADP (WR50 on Underdog Fantasy) to continue rising.

Chiefs WR Kadarius Toney is dealing with a “tweaked knee,” per HC Andy Reid. The injury occurred on a punt return in training camp warmups. We'll let you know when he's back on the field.

Chiefs DT Chris Jones did not report to training camp with the rest of the team Saturday, ESPN's Adam Schefter reports. Jones has been looking for a new contract ahead of the final season on his existing deal. Schefter reports that the "two sides remain far apart." We'll see how this one progresses for one of the league's top D-linemen. For now, we're not moving Jones down our IDP rankings.

Chiefs RB Isiah Pacheco was on the field for the start of training camp on Wednesday. He was sporting a non-contact jersey after undergoing offseason labrum and hand surgeries. But there was otherwise "no sign of injury," according to insider Pete Sweeney. We'll continue to keep an eye on Pacheco, but it looks like he'll be back to 100% ahead of Week 1.

Chiefs HC Andy Reid isn't yet sure when RB Isiah Pacheco will be ready to get back on the field. He underwent offseason surgeries to repair a broken hand and a torn labrum. “We’ll just make a decision with Pacheco as we go forward here,” Reid said. “I think we’ll have enough time, but let’s see how this all goes. I’ll be curious to talk to [Pacheco]. I haven’t seen him yet. [Head trainer] Rick [Burkholder] is likewise going to talk to him.” We'll keep a close eye on Pacheco over the next month and a half. The situation adds some intrigue to RB Clyde Edwards-Helaire as an end-of-draft flier. Undrafted rookie RB Deneric Prince reportedly had a strong spring and is worth monitoring in camp. Jerick McKinnon is seemingly locked in as Kansas City's pass-catching back.

Bengals HC Zac Taylor has been impressed by how quickly TE Irv Smith has settled into the offense. "Forget about the talent. He's a talented guy. We knew that's what we've seen on tape so that didn't surprise me in anyway," Taylor said. "But I think just how quickly he's integrated himself has been really impressive. That's the most impressive thing about Irv is how quickly he's picked everything up and even taken on the nuances." Smith has a clear path to the starting job in Cincinnati, with only Drew Sample and Devin Asiasi as "competition." The former second-round pick has disappointed through three NFL seasons but turns just 25 in August. The Bengals' high-scoring offense gives Smith a good shot to jumpstart his career. He's an intriguing upside TE2 target late in fantasy drafts.

Cardinals WR Marquise Brown was, not surprisingly, more productive in games without WR DeAndre Hopkins than with him last year. How much more productive? Brown averaged just 4.3 catches, 39 yards, and 0 TDs in four games with Hopkins. Those numbers spiked to 6.3 catches, 69 yards, and 0.38 TDs in eight games without Hopkins. Brown's 15.5 PPR points per game in those outings would have ranked 14th among WRs for the season. Most importantly, Brown went from 7.5 targets per game on a 19.7% share without Hopkins to 9.6 targets on a 23.8% share without him. Hopkins, of course, was released by Arizona in May. And the team only added WRs Michael Wilson and Zach Pascal this offseason. It sets Brown up for hefty volume in 2023. See exactly where he lands in the 2023 WR Rankings.

Chiefs TE Travis Kelce will turn 34 in October but has shown no signs of decline. He just registered his second-best Pro Football Focus receiving grade and fourth-most yards per route run of his career last season. Those marks ranked first and second, respectively, among 32 qualifying TEs. From a fantasy perspective, Kelce easily led all TEs in PPR, half-PPR, and non-PPR points. He's now finished as a top-2 fantasy TE in seven straight seasons, including six No. 1 finishes. Just how high should Kelce go in 2023 fantasy drafts? Check out where he sits in the overall rankings.

ESPN’s Adam Teicher believes rookie RB Deneric Prince could push for snaps “if he shows an aptitude for pass protection” in training camp. Prince, a rookie UDFA, caught only 17 balls across 3 seasons at Tulsa. Yet his hands reportedly stood out in spring practices. It’s hard to see the 23-year-old taking receiving work away from Jerick McKinnon and Clyde Edwards-Helaire, but we’ll keep a close eye on this position group next month. Note: Isiah Pacheco is expected to miss part of training camp following offseason surgeries.

The Chiefs "hope" RB Isiah Pacheco will be ready to return by the "middle" of training camp, according to The Athletic's Nate Taylor. Pacheco continues to rehab from offseason surgeries to repair a torn labrum and broken bone in his hand. He missed all of spring workouts, and it sounds like he won't be cleared to return until some time in August. His health will be worth watching closely next month. Jerick McKinnon, Clyde Edwards-Helaire, and undrafted rookie Deneric Prince are the next men up in Kansas City's backfield.