Rashee Rice scores in debut

Chiefs rookie WR Rashee Rice was on the receiving end of QB Patrick Mahomes' first TD of the 2023 season. Rice worked himself free in the back of the end zone for a one-yard score in Thursday night's season opener vs. the Lions. He finished with just three catches for 29 yards, but Rice's five targets tied for the team lead. And he certainly out-played WRs Skyy Moore and Kadarius Toney, who combined to catch one of eight targets. Rice ranked just fifth among Chiefs WRs with a 27% route rate, so he's not a viable Week 2 fantasy option. But his playing time could grow quickly. Rice is worth owning in fantasy leagues of 12+ teams.

ESPN's Adam Schefter writes that Chiefs WR Rashee Rice "is expected to be disciplined by the NFL, resulting in at least a multi-game suspension.” The line came in a much larger piece about NFL Draft rumors, with Schefter pegging the Chiefs as a candidate to add a WR in Round 1. But he wouldn't write that about Rice if he didn't have good intel. Rice is facing eight charges after his involvement in a street-racing crash in Dallas in late March. The league tends to wait for the legal process to play out, so it's unclear exactly when any potential Rice suspension would come. We'll continue to keep a close eye on the situation but are docking two games from Rice's 2024 projections for now. That has him falling in the 2024 WR Rankings.

Chiefs WR Rashee Rice allegedly fled the scene of a serious accident in Dallas on Saturday night. He's believed to have been driving a Corvette that was racing a Lamborghini. The Lamborghini lost control, hit a median wall, and caused "a chain reaction collision involving four other vehicles," according to the Dallas police. Four people suffered minor injuries, including two who were taken to the hospital. We'll keep you updated on the situation, but Rice comes with at least some suspension risk if you're drafting right now.

Chiefs WR Rashee Rice (hamstring) was a full-go in Tuesday's practice. He didn't play in last week's meaningless regular-season finale but will be ready to rock for Saturday night's Wild Card game vs. the Dolphins.

Chiefs WRs Rashee Rice (hamstring) and Kadarius Toney (hip, ankle) are out for Sunday's game vs. the Chargers. Rice would presumably be playing if this game meant anything, but we'll track his status during next week's prep for the Wild Card Round. Kansas City will have WRs Justin Watson, Marquez Valdes-Scantling, Richie James, Mecole Hardman, and Justyn Ross available on Sunday.

WR Rashee Rice posted unspectacular numbers Monday, in a game that saw the entire Chiefs offense disappoint vs. the Raiders. But his 6 receptions for 57 yards didn't kill your fantasy lineup. And Rice's 12 targets marked a season high as well as 27.3% of QB Patrick Mahomes' total pass attempts for the game. Rice has now seen 9+ targets in five straight games, earning a 26.2% target share over that span while averaging 7.6 catches and 78.2 yards per contest. Rice should remain glued to your lineup for a high-upside matchup with the Bengals in Week 17. He'll get another positive spot against the Chargers in Week 18, if your league plays that week.