Rice injured his knee in week 3 of last season chasing down a tackle after a Patrick Mahomes interception. Before the injury, Rice had three stellar games, averaging just under 10 targets per contest, catching 24 balls for 288 yards and two touchdowns. He was the WR1 at the time of his injury.

News of Rice’s presence at OTAs is big news early in the offseason. The 25-year-old is a PPR monster with elite RAC ability in a high-powered offence. With Kelce showing his age, Rice seemed to be taking over as Mahomes’ go-to guy across the middle.

Rice was going in the 4th round of early re-draft leagues, due to questions regarding his health and legal status going into 2025. At this point, he is a safe bet to rise considerably in the rankings. I now have him as my WR 13 behind Ladd McConkey and Jaxon Smith Njigba. He might be higher if not for the slight risk of not knowing when his legal trouble will be resolved. A potential suspension won’t likely be handed down until the 2026 season, however.

Author: Blake Stachel (@bllakkay)