With no Rashee Rice, the Chiefs will also be without rookie wide receiver Jalen Royals in Week 1.
The Chiefs will be without their rookie receiver when they travel to Brazil to play the Los Angeles Chargers. Royals is dealing with a knee injury. While injuries are never convenient, the timing does hurt as the Chiefs view Royals as an adequate replacement for Rice.
Royals’ skill set match would be perfect in the absence of Rice. Expect Patrick Mahomes to funnel targets to Travis Kelce and Xavier Worthy. A sneaky roster move is to pick up rookie running back Brashard Smith if he is available on the waiver wire. Smith ran with the first team offense plenty during training camp and drafters have aspirations of Smith filling the Jerick McKinnon role. Smith should be on benches everywhere as his role could grow into must start territory; a potential league winner.
Author: Jeremiah Retzlaff (@coachretzlaff1)
Kansas City Chiefs wide receiver Jalen Royals (knee) is ...
Kansas City Chiefs rookie wide receiver Jalen Royals (knee)...
Kansas City Chiefs wide receiver Jalen Royals (knee) sat ...
Kansas City Chiefs wideout Rice must serve a 30-day prison sentence, NFL to meet on personnel discipline
Chiefs’ wide receiver Rashee Rice now knows his punishment as a result of the dual-felony charge of hit and run that resulted in multiple cars and injuries. Rice fled the scene on foot without checking on any of the injured victims. Rice had been traveling 119 MPH before the first collision, which set off a chain reaction affecting multiple vehicles.
Rice pleaded guilty in a Dallas courtroom, resulting in a five-year probation sentence, as well as spending 30 days in jail during that period. Multiple charges were dropped in the case in return for his guilty plea to two third-degree felony charges, which included collision resulting in serious bodily injury and racing on a highway causing physical injury. In addition to any NFL game checks forfeited when disciplined by the league, Rice was also ordered to pay financial restitution to the victims for their medical bills—a pricetag of $115,481.91.
Rice would face up to 10 years behind bars should he violate his probation anytime during the five years.
Now, the NFL will have its say on what discipline will be levied on the wide receiver. Traditionally, such an infraction can result in four weeks (games) away from the team. It remains to be seen if the severity of leaving a possibly fatal scene will be taken into account. He could be suspended for as many as six games, subject to appeal. Practicing defense attorney Drew Davenport (@DrewDavenportFF) has said that it seems like the NFL will settle on four games one way or another. ESPN’s Adam Schefter is reporting that the discipline will occur during the 2025 season.
For fantasy football, in redraft and best ball leagues, Rice’s ADP is still holding steady at 21, but it’s too soon to make assumptions as both Xavier Worthy and “Hollywood” Marquise Brown are, as well. When it comes time for Rice to serve his suspension, the two wideouts will be mainstays in fantasy lineups even more so than to start the season. The sleeper pick is Jalen Royals. During the pre-draft process, the Chiefs’ coaching staff was enamored with his ability to line up in the same way that Rice does. There will likely be a race to the waiver wire for his services. Should Rice serve his suspension to begin the campaign, Royals becomes a must-draft player, particularly as a Rice handcuff for managers.
Author: Sam Schneider (@BuyAndSellYou)
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)
Jalen Royals impresses with his 40 time.
Jalen Royals, the Utah State product measured in at 6’0″ and 205 pounds. Even though Royals is not a 100% his 40-yard dash was impressive running 4.42. He is still dealing with foot injury that ended his last college season. He finished the season with 55 catches for 834 yards and 6 touchdowns through just 7 games. He would have been on pace to have over 90 catches for 1,400 yards. He also participated in the Senior Bowl last month and no one would play press coverage since he would just plow over everyone or use his quick feet to release at the line.
Jalen Royals is going to be a special player in the NFL. He could sneak into the end of the first round of the NFL Draft but he has secured to be drafted on Day 2 at the latest. He is a must in rookie dynasty leagues going forward.
Author: Jake Lewis (@Lewylewis5)
