Huddle Up: Mitchell's main problem has been staying healthy as he has had a slew of season-ending injuries in recent years. He'll compete with Elijah Young and Carson Steele for the gig behind Isiah Pacheco and Kareem Hunt. He may just be a kick returner early on but has proven he can be an RB2 if injuries occur. Keep him mind for a handcuff or RB5.

Huddle Up: You needn't get into advanced metrics to see the team's lack of big plays. In 2022, Mahomes threw for 5,250 yards and 41 TDs while averaging 8.1 yards per attempt. That fell to 4,183 yards and 27 TDs (7.0 YPA) in 2023, and then 3,928 yards and 26 TDs (a career-low 6.8 yards per attempt) last year. Clearly, the lack of available talent was a big factor -- Rice did not play in 2024, Brown missed 15 games, and Smith-Schuster missed three -- so having that foursome, along with Travis Kelce, should help reinvigorate the offense. Mahomes is a midrange QB1 with some legitimate rebound potential for 2025.

Huddle Up: The 35-year-old Kelce had a down season by his standards in 2024, with 97 catches for 823 receiving yards and three touchdowns over 16 regular-season games. That being said, he should still be viewed as a starting option in all fantasy formats.

Huddle Up: Outside of a three-week window in October during which he barely missed the threshold, Kelce played at least 80% of the team's offensive snaps in all but one regular-season game. While 2024 was a bit of a disappointment from a fantasy perspective - mostly due to a career-low three touchdowns - Kelce posted his seventh straight season of at least 90 receptions. That streak figures to end this year with the Chiefs having a multitude of weapons at Patrick Mahomes' disposal now, but fantasy managers should not be surprised if he remains a strong mid-level TE1.

Huddle Up: Fantasy players should keep an eye on the situation to see if Rice receives a suspension at some point. He will be the main receiver for the Chiefs when he plays and will be a weekly starting option in all leagues when he plays.

Huddle Up: The reports on Rice's recovery have been good for some time now, but it is always nice to receive confirmation from the head coach. While Rice returns to an offense that is much different from what it was last season when he got hurt (Xavier Worthy had yet to step up and Marquise Brown was already injured), he should return as the clear alpha if he is truly 100%. While a suspension for his off-field behavior from last summer remains on the table, fantasy managers should be thrilled to land Rice in the third or fourth round of drafts until we learn more about his availability.

Huddle Up: The 35-year-old Kelce had played at a heavier weight in 2024 and experienced a slight decline in production, with 97 catches for 823 yards and three touchdowns over 16 regular-season games. However, a down year for him would be a great year for most other tight ends, so he can still be considered as a solid TE1 option in all fantasy formats.

Huddle Up: Rice was expected to be ready for training camp, and the fact that he is already on the field is certainly a good sign. Prior to his injury last season, he had emerged as the No. 1 option for Patrick Mahomes. Rice has WR1 upside if he picks up where he left off.

Huddle Up: Pacheco said he lost weight last season while rehabbing from a broken leg, but it sounds like he has been working to return to his 2023 form. If he is at full strength, he should be a steady RB3 with RB2 potential.

Huddle Up: Kelce was the TE10 in non-PPR leagues and the TE5 in PPR formats. He looked devoid of a burst last season, but he's still going to get his counting numbers. Just don't expect him to be north of that TE5 range.

Huddle Up: Pacheco looked like a very average running back upon his return from a leg injury late last season, but that should have been expected given the seriousness of it. Assuming we can take Reid at his word, it would appear Pacheco's explosion is back, which is great news for his fantasy managers and the Chiefs alike. Pacheco will likely lose his fair share of passing-down work to rookie Brashard Smith, but his touchdown upside in this offense remains high, especially if Kansas City deems Kareem Hunt to be expendable.

Huddle Up: According to Sam McDowell of the Kansas City Star, Rice is still on track to be cleared fully before training camp and adds that Patrick Mahomes believes Rice is already 100%. As a result, early drafters should feel good about landing Rice in the third round of 12-team drafts whenever they can. A fully healthy Rice has fantasy WR1 upside, as he displayed early last season before getting hurt.

Huddle Up: Analysts tend to be a bit hyperbolic in May, but Riddick is not far off on some of the qualities the two backs bring to the table. Smith was a receiver for most of his college career at Miami (Fla.) before transferring to SMU and transitioning to running back in 2024. While Smith lacks Kamara's trademark contact balance and it remains to be seen if Smith can handle a heavy workload at the NFL level, there is little doubt the two are similar in their ability to contribute in the passing game and break big runs. With most of his competition this season set to become free agents, Smith will have a head start on emerging as Kansas City's lead back in 2026 if he shows well this summer and fall.

Huddle Up: Rice is recovering from knee surgery and it is uncertain if he will be able to fully participate in organized team activities. If he is completely healthy at the start of the regular season, Royals' best bet to see consistent game action might be as a punt returner instead. Royals can probably be avoided in most standard fantasy leagues for now but he could be an in-season waiver wire option if he plays well early on.

Huddle Up: Mahomes ranked second in the league with 65 hits in 2023, which serves as clear evidence that Kansas City needs to continue investing in its offensive line. The Chiefs cannot say that they have improved much in that regard this offseason after trading standout guard Joe Thuney to the Chicago Bears, keeping Jawaan Taylor at right tackle and signing the mostly unproven Jaylon Moore to man the left tackle spot. Kansas City desperately needs first-round draft choice Josh Simmons to play well as soon as possible and Kingsley Suamataia to do his best impression of Thuney at left guard if the Chiefs want to keep Mahomes from getting beat up again in 2025.

Huddle Up: Royals probably will not have a big role right away in the passing game but could earn more work as the season goes on. He probably can be avoided in most standard fantasy leagues but could be a waiver wire pickup during the season if he plays well.

Huddle Up: Mahomes is coming off a career low in passing yards, and his 26 touchdown passes were tied for his fewest in a season. His dip in production hasn't exactly stopped the Chiefs from winning, but a more aggressive approach would be welcomed by fantasy owners.

Huddle Up: Rice seems to be making good progress in his recovery and appears to be on track for the start of the regular season. Fantasy players should monitor the situation because Rice is a weekly starting option in all leagues when healthy.

Huddle Up: Pacheco was limited to only seven regular season games in 2024 and finished with 310 rushing yards and one rushing touchdown. He was quiet in three playoff games as well but should be healthy for the start of the 2025 season. He can be a No. 2 running back or flex option in fantasy leagues.

Huddle Up: Rice could still face a suspension from the league for last summer's off-field behavior at some point, but fantasy managers will be happy to know that the knee is unlikely to be an issue this summer. At the time of his injury in Week 4, Rice was leading the league in receptions (through three weeks) and ranked second in receiving yards, so his healthy return will be a big deal. Even if he ends up missing the first month of the season due to suspension, it will be difficult for managers to let Rice slip out of the fourth round in fantasy drafts.

Huddle Up: The most likely reason Hunt was of interest was the presence of the running backs coach Eric Bieniemy, who spent two seasons with Hunt earlier in his career. Another major reason for the interest in Hunt is that he would have brought a physical between-the-tackles complement to a backfield that has D'Andre Swift and little else. The problem is that Hunt would have a minimal upgrade - at best - over Roschon Johnson. Expect Chicago to invest in a physical running back in next month's draft, with North Carolina's Omarion Hampton and Iowa's Kaleb Johnson likely to be of the most interest to new head coach Ben Johnson.

Huddle Up: Hunt was a serviceable fill-in for Isiah Pacheco for most of the time the latter was out with a leg injury in 2024, but the former was one of the more inefficient backs in the league. The contract length and value suggest Hunt will have to fight for a roster spot this summer, especially after the team added Elijah Mitchell in free agency. Hunt may hold some fantasy value at some point in 2025, but it would likely result from Pacheco and/or Mitchell missing significant time due to injury.

Huddle Up: Mahomes is coming off one of his worst statistical years in 2024 as he finished as the QB11 in fantasy. He absolutely should be better than that, but it's likely that his best fantasy days are behind him. He'll be a better pick in the QB5-QB7 range if he falls that far.

Huddle Up: Though Worthy is seemingly off the hook, there is still an investigation taking place. This will bear monitoring throughout the offseason but after Worthy showed some real flashes down the stretch of his rookie season, there's upside as a WR3 option as long as he avoids legal trouble.

Huddle Up: Brown flashed a little down the stretch after missing most of the year and will give KC a veteran presence who still can get deep, which could come in extra handy should the recent legal accusations against WR Xavier Worthy prove damaging to his 2025 on-field offerings. At best, however, Brown is a late-round flier.

Huddle Up: Pacheco was sidelined for much of 2024 due to a fractured fibula and also missed time later in the year because of a rib injury, both of which greatly affected his performance. In eight combined regular-season and postseason games following fibula surgery, Pacheco only rushed for more than 50 yards once. Despite all of this, he could still be viewed as a starting option in most 2025 fantasy leagues because he is likely to receive the bulk of the carries in the Kansas City backfield.

Huddle Up: It remains to be seen how much the 35-year-old Kelce (36 in October) has left coming off his worst season as a pro (career-low 823 receiving yards and three receiving touchdowns). With that said, Kelce's bad year is a great year for most tight ends, so it would not be a surprise if he remains a top-five fantasy tight end in 2025. The expectations for him just need to be considerably lowered from the lofty 90-catch, 1,000-yard standard he set earlier in his career.

Huddle Up: In 10 games during the 2024 campaign, Minshew threw for 2,013 yards and had nine touchdowns and 10 interceptions before sustaining a broken collarbone in late November which prematurely ended his season. Regardless of where he winds up in 2025, he is unlikely to win a starting job and can be left undrafted in fantasy leagues.

Huddle Up: If Kelce is still on the Chiefs' active roster on March 15, he would automatically receive a roster bonus of $11.5 million, so the team would like a final decision before that date. This would allow Kansas City to make alternate plans if he retires, although they would be sacrificing the first few days of NFL free agency, which opens on March 10. Kelce would be considered a TE1 option in all fantasy formats if he decides to continue his playing career.