Rashee Rice, found guilty of multiple felonious traffic incidents, including a collision involving bodily injury, will now get his day in front of the NFL disciplinary committee. Rice caused a multiple-vehicle pileup in Dallas, caused by his racing on the highway. He fled the scene.

The wide receiver was sentenced to 30 days in jail (deferred) and five years of probation. The next step for the embattled Rice is to appear before the NFL, which could impose a significant suspension on the wideout. Given the severity of the infraction and the guilty plea, the league is expected to levy a penalty somewhere in the neighborhood of four to six games.

The main takeaway of note for both the Chiefs and fantasy managers is that the hearing won’t be until Sept. 30. It comes as a bit of a surprise, considering the league often acts swiftly in cases of this severity. Now Rice will likely be available to the team for the first four weeks of the season, although that’s little consolation for fantasy managers and Kansas City, who will most likely be missing their WR1 during the meat of the NFL (and fantasy) schedule.

A six-game suspension seems to be the most likely scenario, and Rice could appeal that ruling. If he does, he could get it down to four games, but that would likely push the ruling dangerously close to the NFL playoffs. Should the initial suspension only be four games, the receiver would likely serve it immediately.

The last 30 days have seen Rice’s average draft position (ADP) tank to the tune of 21.1, down to 47.4. For the math majors out there, that’s over two rounds or difference. For those in drafts right now, his ADP is unlikely to come up dramatically, as many owners will still steer clear of the potential midseason suspension. Depending on roster size and league mates, it could be hard to pin down where to draft him if you covet him. The third round seems to be the logical conclusion (halfway through the ADP change), though that does not account for the other managers (and Chiefs fans) in fantasy leagues.

Author: Sam Schneider (@BuyAndSellYou)