Kansas City Chiefs Fantasy Football News | Shark Bites

Chiefs RB Isaiah Pacheco (shoulder, hand) shed his non-contact jersey for Monday's practice. HC Andy Reid said afterward that there's a chance Pacheco plays in Saturday's preseason finale. He's clearly on track to be ready for Week 1.

Jesse Newell of the Kansas City Star reports that Chiefs WR Skyy Moore has worked consistently ahead of teammates Rashee Rice and Justyn Ross. He says Moore "has been with 1st every rep at training camp when KC has had 2 WRs." Rice and Ross, meanwhile, "have occasionally mixed in with 1st but overwhelmingly been with 2s." Kadarius Toney, of course, has been out since suffering a setback with the knee that has needed two operations since the end of last season. So it looks like Moore and Marquez Valdes-Scantling as the Chiefs' top two WRs at least for now. Keep that in mind for your fantasy football drafts. Moore leads all Chiefs in our WR rankings and sits much further ahead of Rice there than he does in best ball ADP.

RB Kareem Hunt did not sign with the Saints on Tuesday, despite reports that he was expected to. NFL Network's Ian Rapoport reports that Hunt had a "great" visit in New Orleans but will now head to Indianapolis for a Wednesday meeting. The Colts recently added RB Kenyan Drake but remain without RB Jonathan Taylor (ankle/contract) and RB Zack Moss (wrist injury). We'll keep watching Hunt's travels. And Saints rookie RB Kendre Miller will certainly be interested in whether Hunt comes back to town.

Update: ESPN's Dianna Russini reports that Indy called Hunt and offered him more money before he even started working out with the Saints.

The Saints are expected to sign RB Kareem Hunt, pending a physical, ESPN's Dianna Russini reports. That will further crowd a New Orleans backfield that also includes Alvin Kamara, Jamaal Williams, and rookie Kendre Miller. Kamara, of course, is suspended for the first three games, giving the other guys a shot at useable fantasy value at the start of the season. But we'll see what happens when Kamara returns. It seems unlikely that all four RBs would even be active on game days. Hunt is coming off a disappointing 2022 season that saw him finish with career lows in yards per carry (3.8), yards per catch (6.0), and Pro Football Focus rushing grade.

Chiefs GM Brett Veach confirmed on Monday that RB Isiah Pacheco is expected to play in the season opener vs. the Lions. Pacheco underwent offseason surgeries on his shoulder and hand and missed spring workouts. He's been participating in training camp, albeit in a non-contact jersey, and has looked good by all accounts. NFL Network's James Palmer reported last week that Pacheco is expected to be fully cleared by August 20. We're projecting Pacheco as if he'll be a full-go come Week 1.

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.

49ers RB Elijah Mitchell is dealing with an adductor strain that’ll sideline him for about one week, per HC Kyle Shanahan. Mitchell’s extensive injury history remains a concern in Year 3. He should still fill a part-time role behind Christian McCaffrey when healthy, though. Current projections have Mitchell for about 8 touches per game.

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 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.

Patriots HC Bill Belichick said Tuesday that WR JuJu Smith-Schuster is "ready to go" for the start of training camp. JuJu missed most of spring practices dealing with the knee injury he suffered in last year's AFC Championship Game. We'll see if it becomes an issue again at any point ahead of Week 1. Smith-Schuster isn't an exciting fantasy pick but does project as the favorite to lead New England in targets this year.

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.

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.

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.

Patriots WR JuJu Smith-Schuster missed all of spring practices because of the knee injury he suffered in last year's AFC Championship Game, according to The Athletic's Chad Graff. Smith-Schuster was able to play in the Super Bowl, so it's surprising that this is still an issue four months later. The missed reps aren't ideal as JuJu works to settle into a new offense. We'll see if he's ready to go for the start of training camp next month.

Per ESPN's Mike Reiss, the Patriots are being "cautious" with WR JuJu Smith-Schuster. Reiss signaled that the move stems from JuJu's knee injury in the AFC Championship game. New England is also looking to get 2nd-year WR Tyquan Thornton back to 100% following a "soft-tissue-related injury." We'll keep an eye on both players as training camp nears. Thornton, given his elite speed profile, remains worthy of a late best ball pick. Just note: DeAndre Hopkins is set to visit the Patriots this week.

The Athletic’s Nate Taylor believes Chiefs TE Travis Kelce is “skilled enough to be the Chiefs’ top passing option” for two more seasons. “An argument can be made that Mahomes is so brilliant, from the pocket and improvising out of the pocket, that perhaps he and Kelce can continue to connect for at least 1,000 yards the next three years,” Taylor concludes. Kelce, 34 in October, has hit 1,000 yards in seven straight seasons. He showed no signs of decline last year, but that’ll be a topic worth revisiting each offseason. For now, Kelce remains king of the TE rankings.