Kansas City Chiefs coach Andy Reid clarified the team is dealing with injuries to receivers: Xavier Worthy (head), Hollywood Brown (ankle), and Skyy Moore (hamstring).
With the Chiefs looking at a possible suspension for Rashee Rice at some point this season, news of injuries to three of their other receivers is not ideal this early in training camp. Xavier Worthy and Hollywood Brown are significant pieces in their offense. One or both of them could be assets for fantasy with or without Rice in the fold.
Worthy’s injury is concussion-related, and hopefully, he’ll be able to return before too long. It’s unclear the severity of Brown’s hamstring injury. We’ll see how long the 28-year-old is forced to sit out, but his long injury history is cause for concern.
I like Worthy, especially in Best Ball. I think he could be a riser as the season approaches, depending on the Rashee Rice situation. Brown is going much later. But, again, his inability to stay on the field makes me wary of drafting him even at his current ADP.
– Blake Stachel (@bllakkay)
Kansas City Chiefs wide receiver Xavier Worthy alluded to ...
Williamson County authorities have declined to press charges...
Kansas City Chiefs wide receiver Xavier Worthy was arrested...
Wide Receiver Justyn Ross was waived by the Kansas City Chiefs.
Wide reciever Justyn Ross was waived by the Kansas City Chiefs right before the start of training camp. In what was a promising start as a freshman at Clemson, Ross was destined for success. Unfortunately a congenital neck condition before his junior season had completely derailed his football career. He went undrafted to the Chiefs in 2022, he only appeared in 12 games with 6 catches and 53 receiving yards. Injuries and an arrest for battery has all but shut the door on an NFL career.
Ross has no fantasy value in any format. It will be unlikely another team will add Ross to their 53 man roster to start the season. This does mean more reps for Rashee Rice, Xavier Worthy and rookie Jalen Royals. With Rice recovering from injury, Worthy and Royals will have more opportunities to prove themselves. Royals will be a sneaky good late round choice in all formats.
Author: Jesse Baldwin @J_Baldwin51
With uncertainty at the wide receiver position, the Chiefs like what they have in rookie Jalen Royals.
On the surface, the Chiefs appear to have enough weapons for Patrick Mahomes. A more forensic look will identify just how tenuous their skill position players are heading into the 2025 season.
Hall of Fame tight end Travis Kelce is another year older and rising star Rashee Rice is coming off injury and potentially starting the season with a suspension. While Xavier Worthy came on late last season, it is easy to see how an injury or two could derail the Chiefs offense in 2025. This doesn’t even include the backfield which only added 7th round rookie Brashard Smith.
The Chiefs sneakily added wide receiver Jalen Royals from Utah State in the 4th round of the NFL Draft. Royals has a versatile skill set that has the Chiefs envisioning a duplicate role to Rashee Rice, particularly in the ability to generate yards after the catch. Should Rice get suspended, the Chiefs believe Royals can make an immediate impact.
Jalen Royals is 6’0’’ and 205 pounds and can run a 4.42 40-yard dash. In the FastDraft Origins Gamma tournament, Royals ADP is currently a 3rd round pick at 28 overall. Over on Underdog, Royals can be had at pick 200 in round 17. It is a great time to click on Jalen Royals in both formats before any bearish news presents itself for Rashee Rice or other Chiefs skill position players.
Author: Jeremiah Retzlaff (@coachretzlaff1)
The Chiefs select Jalen Royals in the 4th round.
The Kansas City Chiefs add to their wide receiver core as they select Jalen Royals from Utah State. The shift wide receiver will offer versatility that is needed in the Chiefs offense.
The Chiefs have been trying to replace the loss of Tyreek Hill for a few years now and have had differing results. Rashee Rice looked to be the next WR1 in Kansas City, but he was hurt for the season in week 4 and has a looming suspension into 2025. Xavier Worthy showed some flashes late in the season, but any injury or suspension would show to the lack of depth the Chiefs have.
With an aging Travis Kelce, adding Jalen Royals will help give Patrick Mahomes another much needed weapon. Royals looks to be a better best ball pick versus redraft as it will be difficult to know when to start Royals.
Author: Jeremiah Retzlaff (@coachretzlaff1)
Chiefs head coach Andy Reid says Rice is working hard to be ready for training camp.
At the spring meeting on Tuesday, Andy Reid was asked about Rashee Rice’s status for the 2025 season. Rice is rehabbing a season-ending LCL tear in Week 4 of last season after colliding with QB Patrick Mahomes. The former collided with Rice’s knee after attempting a tackle during an interception return against the Chargers. Rice is also awaiting multiple legal ramifications and an assault charge resulting from a six-car accident nearly one year ago. For now, the rehab of the LCL is the major focus of the Kansas City Chiefs.
When the Kansas City Star’s Sam McDowell asked about Rice’s ongoing recovery from the injury, head coach Andy Reid could only say: “He’s on track to be ready. We’ll see. He’s working his tail off right now, I know.” The timing of the wide receiver’s injury (Week 4) provides ample time for rehabilitation. Additionally, a torn LCL is easier to focus on than any combination of ACL, MCL, LCL tears coinciding.
The 24-year-old was drafted in the second round of the 2023 draft and showed tremendous promise as a rookie with 79 catches for 938 yards and seven touchdowns. He was well on his way to easily besting those numbers last season as he already had amassed 24/288/2 as of the fourth week. Depending on his work off the field and in training camp, Rice should avoid being on any sort of snap count to start 2025, when he rejoins the returning Marquise “Hollywood” Brown and second-year pro Xavier Worthy as outside weapons for Mahomes.
Author: Sam Schneider (@BuyAndSellYou)
Xavier Worthy’s Arrest Shakes Chiefs’ Fantasy Outlook for 2025
Xavier Worthy’s fantasy football stock is now in jeopardy following some troubling news off the field. The Kansas City Chiefs’ 2024 first-round pick, who showed immense potential during his rookie season with 59 receptions for 638 yards and six touchdowns, has been arrested on charges of assault against a family or household member. Worthy’s postseason performance, particularly his explosive playoff run with 287 yards and three touchdowns, solidified him as a rising star, and many fantasy gamers were excited about his upside in 2025. However, this arrest casts doubt on his future with the team, with a suspension or legal consequences potentially affecting his availability for the start of the season.
This incident is not the first time a Chiefs rookie receiver has made headlines for the wrong reasons. Last offseason, Rashee Rice faced legal trouble after a street-racing incident, and now, Worthy is involved in a serious situation of his own. The timing couldn’t be worse for Kansas City’s offense, which had big plans for Worthy to take on a larger role in 2025. Fantasy football gamers who were eyeing Worthy as a potential breakout candidate may want to proceed with caution until more details emerge. With the Chiefs’ history of troubled wide receivers, including Rice’s previous issues, it’s unclear how this will impact the team’s plans and Worthy’s long-term fantasy outlook. For now, his status for Week 1 and beyond remains uncertain.
Author: Mike Lindberg (@FFCanuck99)
