Start or pause? The Chiefs’ weapon has far more potential in Week 1 than in the future

The Kansas City Chiefs are generally a good offense to bet on in fantasy football. Last season was a slight aberration, though. Even Travis Kelce had his slumps. Patrick Mahomes will always be at the top of QB lists, but it’s fair to wonder how the individual players around him will fare through the cold, hard lens of the fantasy world.

Isiah Pecheco and Travis Kelce are the strongest and safest bets – a power back and the NFL’s most dominant tight end. Even after mixed results in 2023, Kelce will likely perform as well as anyone at his position. How the Chiefs’ WR room performs, however, will be the focus for many people. There are plenty of golden opportunities to get into Kansas City’s wideouts on the cheap. If the right fit with Mahomes, there could be big rewards for those who make the jump.

There are probably three Chiefs wideouts that are truly worth investing in in fantasy football – Hollywood Brown, Rashee Rice and (no pun intended) Xavier Worthy. Rice is the de facto WR1 after a strong rookie season, but he’s going to be locked up in the distant future. It’s unclear when the league will actually drop the hammer, but Rice was responsible for multiple injuries in a reckless traffic accident, so he’s presumably going to be out for quite a while.

Which Chiefs wide receiver deserves the second pick is a more complex question. Both Hollywood Brown and Xavier Worthy fill similar niches on paper. Small, skinny, and extremely explosive pass receivers who can shut down a defense and wreak havoc after the catch. The Chiefs have plenty of room for multiple wide receivers of that type, but chances are one of them will stand out as Mahomes’ favorite long-pass target.

For those reshuffling their lineup bubble on Thursday night, Worthy is one of the best upside bets for Week 1. It’s never entirely safe to rely on rookies in fantasy — especially not in Week 1 — but Worthy should receive a healthy share of targets if Hollywood is on the bench. Brown was officially ruled out for Thursday Night Football after suffering a shoulder injury in the Chiefs’ season opener. He could be out another week or two depending on unknown factors.

That gives Worthy a podium from the start. It also means that Worthy has been able to get more playing time with Mahomes since Brown’s injury, both in practice and in the preseason. That could prove to be an advantage early in the season, even if Brown returns.

In the long run, however, Brown has more experience to fall back on and is a generally “safe” prospect compared to the unproven Worthy. Neither is very strong, but Brown is listed at 180 pounds. Worthy is 165 pounds. Physicality has been an issue for Worthy during practice, and he will have a steep adjustment period at the NFL level. It won’t matter as much if Mahomes focuses on Worthy, but once Brown returns, he could very quickly take away some of Worthy’s weekly target share.

Both Worthy and Brown can score a 60-yard touchdown in a heartbeat, so there will be upside all around each week. As for who emerges as the more stable WR2 in the Chiefs offense, Brown is the safest bet for the entire season. That obviously isn’t the case for Week 1, though. Put Worthy in those lineups and see if he can use his typical speed to get a big lead against the stingy Baltimore Ravens defense. When Mahomes is throwing the football, pretty much anything is possible.