Kansas City Chiefs Are Primed For A Bounceback
In today's Fantasy Life Newsletter, presented by Pop-Tarts, two Chiefs who will break out, 10 questions for the NFL Draft and rookie WRs enter dynasty rankings.
In today's Fantasy Life Newsletter, presented by Pop-Tarts:
With the NFL meetings this week, the news was humming during that part of the NFL calendar when the free agency frenzy has waned and the NFL Draft is still weeks away. Coaches, GMs and even owners talk in a more relaxed environment than just about any time of the year. Chalk that up to the sunshine in the Arizona desert.
Andy Reid was in particularly good spirits, though he didn’t divulge anything about any new commercials or if his invite to the Swift-Kelce wedding had arrived in the mail. Reid was putting behind him that dreadful 6-11 season that saw QB Patrick Mahomes suffer a season-ending torn ACL in December.
The Chiefs HC was very much looking ahead, and two players he talked about could have fantasy managers pumped up for the coming season.
Establishing It
Kenneth Walker coming aboard via free agency is exciting because he’s the best RB the Chiefs have deployed behind Mahomes since Kareem Hunt was released for off-field issues midway through the 2018 season. K9 also should help the Chiefs to be more balanced in their attack, as they had a dropback rate of 66%, which was second in the league.
What hasn’t been talked about enough is Walker’s potential in the screen game. The Chiefs have seen a high number of defensive concepts that prioritize guarding against Mahomes’ deep ball. That will leave the short to intermediate part of the field open for Walker to use his improvisational skills with the ball in his hands. With his penchant for breaking off long runs, we could be looking at some explosive plays.
Reid was also asked about whether the Chiefs will run more from under center next season, and he pointed out that Walker had been good running out of the shotgun as well as under center. In 225 rushing attempts with the QB under center, Walker averaged 4.7 yards per carry. In 61 rushes out of the shotgun, he averaged 4.5. With a great interior of the offensive line for the Chiefs, Walker will have lanes to run through. And with the threat of Mahomes under center, K9 will likely face fewer stacked boxes. It’s no wonder that Walker is rising up our RB rankings.
Crossover Appeal
Xavier Worthy also got a mention this week, and it had to do with how his role was altered after he suffered a torn labrum in the early going of the Chiefs’ opener against the Chargers in Brazil. Not wanting him to suffer reinjury, Worthy was not asked to run as many routes over the middle as he had in 2024. With his 4.21 speed not able to be utilized on these routes to get hit in stride and make plays, Worthy’s season was a letdown.
Getting Worthy at least a couple looks a game where he has the ball in his hands and is running at top speed can be scary to a defense. And fun for fantasy managers. That could also up his targets per route run, which topped 20% in just three full games he played last season.
With Mahomes already throwing about three months after his reconstructive knee surgery, there is room for optimism in KC.
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10 NFL Draft Questions
The first 10 picks of the upcoming NFL Draft will be filled with drama. Well, more like the drama will start at 1.02 after the Raiders take Fernando Mendoza. Which direction do the Jets go at 2? Can the Cardinals bypass a pass rusher to fortify the offensive line at 3? Matthew Freedman explored these questions head-on. One of the most intriguing teams is right in the middle, the Giants. They could go either offense or defense:
For the Giants, this is my main question: Will they prefer Jeremiyah Love or Sonny Styles?
I can see new HC John Harbaugh wanting Love as a weapon for the offense and someone who can theoretically help take pressure off second-year QB Jaxson Dart.
At the same time, Styles could dominate in a defense with EDGEs Brian Burns and Abdul Carter.
Right now, I feel as if there's over a 50% chance that one of Love or Styles is the guy at No. 5.
Teams will have internal debates on picks even while they’re on the clock. Freedman takes you inside some of those quandaries they’ll be working through. ⤵️
Top Rookies Enter The Dynasty Rankings
In Sam Wallace’s latest dynasty fantasy football rankings, check out where he has my five favorite incoming rookies tentatively slotted.
Jordyn Tyson, WR
Three-level alpha with big-play DNA and red flags.
What happens when you combine a 6-foot-2, 200-pound alpha with a lengthy injury history? That would be Jordyn Tyson. It's hard to ignore:
- Torn ACL, MCL, PCL
- Fractured clavicle
- Hamstring setbacks
In addition, Tyson has missed 17 of a possible 51 games (33%). That's … not great. Even so, it's hard to ignore how dominant he's been when healthy. Are you primed to start tossing around the "injury-prone" label before the kid even has a chance to suit up? His landing spot is going to be fascinating, and you already know his new team doctor is going to be sweating.
With the NFL Draft under a month away, Tyson is currently his WR23.
Kenyon Sadiq, TE
Modern mismatch F who already feels like WR3.
Are we slowly starting to see more TEs enter the league ready to contribute from Day 1? It's certainly possible we're moving beyond the days of needing young TEs to develop for a few years before they can produce. NFL teams need playmakers now, and Kenyon Sadiq is poised to be the next exciting prospect at a naturally scarce position.
Taking a peek at our Big Board, here's what the experts say:
His 129.8 Speed Score ranks No. 1 out of all TE prospects since the 2018 class, topping Kyle Pitts (126.1). The NFL cares about Speed Score at the TE position more than any other based on correlation to Draft Capital.
Do I have your attention now? Landing spot will certainly factor into whether or not he sees regular playing time and manufactured touches, but his ceiling is as high as any TE we've seen enter the league over the last few years.
Could Sadiq be a Year 1 impact player? He's currently Sam’s TE9 in early April.
Around The Watercooler
The latest fantasy and NFL gossip, news, memes and more from our merry band of football nerds …
🐅 Are the Bengals the best bet of any team to turn it around in 2026?
🙌 Omar Cooper will continue on as a YAC monster at the next level. Deebo on a diet?
💪 It’s one of the most memorable Pro Day performances yet. And it wasn’t wind-aided.
🏴☠️ Kirk Cousins is a Raider, so let the staredown with Fernando Mendoza begin. Somewhere Kenny Stabler is laughing.
1️⃣ Can you get enough in return for the 1.01 in dynasty? Let’s make a deal.
❓ The QB question marks in Atlanta are not a left-handed complement for Drake London. Hold on.
👀 Jeremiyah Love is not the only hurdle king in the draft. Jump in, Kenyon Sadiq.
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