We’ve been waiting for one of the Kansas City Chiefs wideouts to emerge as the team’s top dog for six weeks. In the preseason, speculation ran rampant, and no one seemed to agree who would be the WR1.
For fantasy owners, maneuvering through this rotating cast of receivers and a “down” start from Patrick Mahomes (QB8) has left many of these preseason questions unanswered. However, Kansas City’s Thursday night win against the Broncos might have cleared things up.
Rookie WR Rashee Rice finally found his footing on Thursday night, hauling all four targets for 72 yards. No, these numbers aren’t Puka Nacua-esque, but they point to an increased workload in a system yearning for an alpha WR.
WE NEED MORE RICE!
Rice certainly passes the eye test at 6’1, 204 lbs, and has the draft capital as a second-rounder to impact the Kansas City offense immediately. Now, we all know the eye test doesn’t earn you targets. And until Thursday night, Rice wasn’t a huge part of Andy Reid’s gameplan. But, he now leads all KC receivers in targets (28), catches (21), and receiving yards (245).
Again, these numbers aren’t eye-popping, but a few things shine brighter upon further inspection.
First, 147 of those 245 receiving yards came after the catch, averaging 7 YAC per reception. If there’s one thing we’ve seen out of Mahomes and the Chiefs this decade, it’s their aptitude in attacking zone coverage and allowing putting skill players in space with the ball. Rice has an 82.6% success rate vs. zone this season per PFF, which puts him just outside the top ten and amongst names like Chris Olave and Amon-Ra St. Brown.
One of the more eye-popping advanced stats is Rice’s 0.71 fantasy points/route run, which is good for fourth-best in the NFL. Rice also boasts a 2.75 YPRR, ninth best in the league and just a shade behind Justin Jefferson.
But, here lies every fantasy manager’s gripe. Unlike Jefferson’s mammoth 27% target share, Rice sits at a 13.3% target share. Rice also only participates in only 34.4% of routes run by KC, so far. For Mahomes and company to elevate their surprisingly quiet 2023 offense, Rashee Rice needs to be a more significant factor moving forward — which I think he will be.
REST OF SEASON OUTLOOK
Rice (45% rostered on Yahoo!) should be a top Week 7 waiver addition next week as the Chiefs take on the LA Chargers. He also seems to be on the fast track to every week relevance, so don’t be afraid to start him next week and beyond. Keep an eye out for The Wolf’s Rest of Season Rankings update on Monday.
