Fantasy Football AFC West Team Preview: Kansas City Chiefs
Fantasy Football AFC West Team Preview: Kansas City Chiefs
Welcome back to another Fantasy Football Team Preview! We have officially finished the NFC West, and will transition to the AFC West. We at FantasyCPR are here to provide you a comprehensive look at the depth of each NFL Team from the perspective of fantasy football manager. So buckle up as we dive into the 2017 AFC West Champion Kansas City Chiefs.
The Toledo product, and third round pick Kareem Hunt turned out to be a gem for this team. He is a do-it-all back that requires extra attention. His success, along with superstar Tyreek Hill, and stud tight end Travis Kelce helped now former quarterback Alex Smith shred defenses all season long.
The Chiefs finished at the top of their division with a record of 10-6. They played their best football at home in Arrowhead where they won six games. There is much room for improvement defensively, but from a fantasy football perspective, this team feels like a gold mine. There is risk with this team though, introducing a new and basically rookie quarterback. Are we going to have another Ben Simmons is he a rookie is he not a rookie situation? Maybe! But Patrick Mahomes has the tools to be a great quarterback, and offensive minded Andy Reid helping him along the way.
It will be interesting to see how this division plays out with the addition of Jon Gruden leading the charge in Oakland, the number three scoring defense in San Diego/Los Angeles, and the Mile High Denver Broncos. It really is anyones division for the taking, but the Chiefs have the offensive talent to hold off their three rivals.
Fantasy Football AFC West Team Preview: Quarterback
The number 10 overall pick did not get much of an opportunity to show off his arm. So for now, he is most known for throwing the ball 65 yards from his knees. Personally, I think it was a mistake for picks 1-9 passing him in the draft and letting him fall to the Chiefs. However, if I’m wrong Mahomes may soon be Mahomeless (was looking for any opportunity to throw that in there).
He and his rocket arm put up explosive passing numbers at Texas Tech. In his final season as a junior, Mahomes threw for 5,052 yards and 41 touchdowns. Former Chiefs quarterback was good with the deep ball, but Mahomes has the potential to be great.
In re-draft leagues, Mahomes should be available late as he has not been given the opportunity to play. With Smith’s departure though, we finally get to see what he can do in the Andy Reid offense. He has plenty of weapons and every chance to showcase his skill set.
I used to be a fan of Chad Henne, when he played for Michigan. The great college quarterback never really translated to the NFL though. He is now 33 years old and has never had a season of more than 20 passing touchdowns. If you drafted Henne, you have made a mistake!
He has more career interceptions (63) than touchdowns (58). The only real opportunity Henne has to see the field is in a blowout win or loss, or if Mahomes suffers an injury.
Fantasy Football AFC West Team Preview: Running Back
Kareem Hunt took the league by storm last year. The third round draft pick thrived in Andy Reid‘s offense. The rookie led the NFL in rush yards with 1,327 and was a big part of the passing game with 53 receptions on 63 targets.
The Chiefs may have lost offensive coordinator Matt Nagy to the Chicago Bears, but head coach Reid always finds unique ways to utilize his skill players. There is no reason to believe Hunt will regress in 2018. In fact, the Hunt may be even more utilized in the pass game in 2018. According to Charles Goldman of Chiefs Wire, Hunt said “That he is working on his game all around, catching more passes and running more routes.”
Let’s be clear here. Kareem Hunt far and away the top running back on this team. But Spencer Ware was effective when he was the lead back in 2016. In 14 games he ran for 921 yards and three touchdowns, and caught 33 passes for 447 yards and two touchdowns. In a PPR league, this is solid.It is unfortunate that he has been unable to stay healthy because I would interested to see what he could do with a few full seasons under his belt.
One of my favorite first names in the NFL. I just wish we could swap his last name with Orlando Scandrick. Who wouldn’t love to announce the name Charcandrick Scandrick. Pop Madden into your system and create him quick!
Similar to Spencer Ware as he is effective in the pass game. But there are really too many other options here in KC. He’ll likely be fighting for the number two or three spot which means you shouldn’t fight to get him on your roster.
Fantasy Football AFC West Team Preview: Wide Receiver
Originally thought of as a gadget type player who wins battles with speed alone. But Tyreek Hill has earned his role as the number one wide receiver for Kansas City. He is not a big target at 5’10” and 185 LBS. But that is no longer a requirement with the brand of football we are seeing in the NFL right now. Two of the top receivers in the NFL, Antonio Brown at 5’10” and O’dell Beckham at 5’11” is proof that height is not as much of a factor anymore.
Hill creates so much space with his elusiveness and speed to make up for his size. He is one of if not the fastest wide receiver in the NFL. In week 7, Hill had a 64-yard touchdown reaching a speed of 21.64 MPH, which might be too fast for cars in a school zone. This play was the 5th fastest speed of a play in 2017.
First things first, Watkins cut off the dreadlocks. Very important! He should be a nice addition to the Chiefs offense. Their play calling is so unpredictable that he could really thrive, especially with the defense focus aimed at Hunt and Hill.
Watkins put up some pretty good numbers in his first two seasons in Buffalo with 65 receptions, 982 yards and six touchdowns. However, what stands out the most to me is the poor catch percentage. He was targeted 128 times that year finishing with a catch percentage of 50.8%
Conley put up decent numbers reception numbers in 2016 hauling in 44 passes for 530 yards. He was another taller target for Alex Smith. He was not much of a factor last season only playing in five games. The third spot is likely up in the air though between Conley and a few of the other guys this list.
After watching De’Anthony Thomas in college, I thought for sure he would be a star in the NFL. The speed and agility were ridiculous and it still is. However, NFL speed is a whole new animal and was ready for Thomas. He has shown small flashes and is good in the return game, but never really panned out. Still only 25 years old, we will see if he can alter his story.
Jehu Chesson/Demarcus Robinson
The Chiefs are deep offensively with a lot of talent at the top of the depth chart. It seems unlikely that either Chesson or Robinson will be major contributors this year. If for some reason you are forced to pick between the two, go with Robinson. He had 21 receptions on 39 targets.
Fantasy Football AFC West Team Preview: Tight End, Kicker, D/ST
Kelce has become a monster on the field. He is one of the elite tight ends for your upcoming draft. He has created a name for himself to the point where you can feel comfortable fading on Gronk and his yearly injury concerns in exchange for Kelce. Who knows, maybe he’ll give you more of the Shmoney Dance on touchdowns, and let’s be clear, THERE WILL BE TOUCHDOWNS. A perfect sequel to “There Will be Blood.” Get on this Daniel Day-Lewis!
Kelce is an enormous target at 6’6” with supreme confidence in his abilities. So much so, that Matt Conner of Arrowhead Addict reported that “Travis Kelce thinks Travis Kelce is the best TE in the NFL.”
Any tight end not named Travis Kelce on this team can likely be considered an afterthought in fantasy football this year. Tim Wright is still young at 28 years old and experienced some success in his rookie year with New England and his second season in Tampa Bay. Last season, Wright finished with a disappointing nine receptions for 77 yards and two touchdowns.
If you are in a dynasty league, you should hold onto him though. If Kelce gets hurt, or if Wright gets moved to a team in need of a tight end, he could get back to where he was in his rookie year with 50+ receptions and five or six touchdowns. Sitting behind Kelce though, he is unlikely to have his number called too often.
Butker was a 7th round pick by the Carolina Panthers out of Georgia Tech. He was quickly cut by Carolina prior to joining the Chiefs. This may prove to be a mistake as Butker experienced success with his new team.
Generally speaking, it is ideal to roster a kicker on a team that scores a lot of points. In 2017, Kansas City had a great offense, with an efficient quarterback moving the yard sticks. He was a very efficient kicker, going 4/5 from 50+ yards and 10/12 from 40+ yards. He finished the season with a kick percentage of 90.5% and perfect on extra points.
D/ST
One of my favorite defensive players in the NFL is on the Chiefs, defensive back Eric Berry. He is a great story and an even better player. However, he alone is not enough to make this defense a viable defensive fantasy option. FantasyPros has them ranked in the fourth tier at number 16.
They do have some exciting talent at linebacker with Dee Ford, Justin Houston and Reggie Ragland. It just feels like there isn’t enough depth on this defense to sustain a full season of success. Let’s hope they can prove me wrong!
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