2026 Team Outlook: Kansas City Chiefs
WR Xavier Worthy, KC - Sleeper (undervalued)
Kansas City used its 28th pick in the 2024 NFL Draft on Worthy, betting on his elite speed (4.21 forty) to add a new dimension to their offense. At 5'11" and 165 pounds, his frame is slight, and press coverage at the line will be an ongoing challenge, particularly in the red zone early in his career. But his vision is advanced, and defenses will have to account for him deep on every snap. At Texas, Worthy caught 197 passes for 2,755 yards and 26 touchdowns across three seasons on 342 targets. His 57.6% catch rate and 14.0 yards per reception suggest a player used more as a big-play threat than a volume option. His best touchdown season came as a freshman (12 scores), and he topped 100 receiving yards just twice in 2023 (8/108 and 10/137). His rookie year followed a familiar boom-bust arc. He opened with a bang in Week 1 (2/68/2, including a rushing score) before going relatively quiet over the next eight games (18/199/2 on 40 targets), with a few carries mixed in (8/16/1). Then he found his rhythm over his final 11 starts, excluding a one-snap rest game in Week 18. Worthy was one of the more productive receivers in football, posting 58 catches for 754 yards and seven touchdowns on 76 targets, capped by a statement Super Bowl performance (8/157/2). He finished 33rd in PPR wide receiver scoring (188.20 points), highlighted by four winnings games (7/75/1, 8/89/1, 6/101/1, and 8/1572) after Week 15. Kansas City increasingly featured him closer to the line of scrimmage (his 10.8 yards per catch reflects that usage), and he had eight or more targets in six games. The one lingering concern is his lack of true explosion in the regular season; just one catch of 40- plus yards all year suggests the deep threat potential hasn't fully translated yet.
A Week 1 shoulder injury after three snaps last season led to Worthy missing two more games. Over his next 12 games, he caught 42 passes for 618 yards and one touchdown on 69 targets, leading to him averaging only 9.15 PPR fantasy points per game. His best success came from Week 4 (5/121), Week 5 (6/51), and Week 6 (2/26/1). Worthy missed Week 18 with an illness while gaining only one yard on one carry in the previous game. In the end, was Worthy’s huge step back in play due to his early shoulder issue? Or was it a lack of development? Fantasy Outlook: In 2026, Worthy comes off the board as the 43rd wide receiver in the NFFC in mid-June, which is 16 spots better than his final ranking (59th) in PPR fantasy points (109.90) last year. Over his first 34 NFL games (including the postseason), Worthy averaged 3.5 catches for 47 yards and 0.38 touchdowns, which works out to 10.48 fantasy points per game, painting a mid-tier WR3 floor. The Chiefs need him to be better this year, and they will figure out a way to get him more involved.
RB Emmett Johnson, KC - Fantasy Handcuff
Johnson spent his first two seasons at Nebraska in a limited role (253 touches, 1,341 combined yards, five touchdowns, and 46 catches) across 2023 and 2024. Given the keys last season, he delivered in a big way. Johnson led his conference in carries (251) and rushing yards (1,451), averaging an impressive 5.8 yards per carry with 12 touchdowns on the ground and a healthy receiving contribution (46 catches, 370 yards, and three TDs) on 297 total touches. He ran a 4.56 forty at the 2026 NFL Combine. His NFL profile has some rough edges. Johnson is a north-south runner who attacks the line immediately, which works in his favor when there's daylight. His lower-body strength is below average, meaning he won't bully his way through contact or finish runs against stacked boxes. His movements in traffic lack the fluidity to maintain speed through tight creases, and he needs spacing to make his best plays. Pass protection is an area that will need development before he can be trusted as a three-down back. His receiving ability is genuine and should translate, giving him a clear path to the field on passing downs. More strength at the point of attack would raise his ceiling considerably, but his game is ultimately built on getting to the second level quickly. When the blocking holds up, Johnson has the vision and acceleration to make defenses pay. Fantasy Outlook: Johnson should slide into the Chiefs’ RB2 role in his rookie season while offering handcuff value to Kenneth Walker at a reasonable price (RB45), with an early 12th-round ADP in the National Fantasy Football Championship.
RB Brashard Smith, KC - Fantasy Handcuff
Smith spent three seasons at Miami almost exclusively as a receiver, carrying the ball just 18 times for 177 yards and a touchdown across 35 games while catching passes out of the backfield and on the perimeter (14/199/2, 33/308, and 22/263/2). The move to SMU in 2024 and a full transition to running back unlocked a different player entirely. He ran for 1,332 yards and 14 touchdowns on 235 carries while adding 39 catches for 327 yards and four receiving scores, announcing himself as one of the more versatile backs in the draft class. Kansas City selected him in the seventh round of the 2025 NFL Draft, and the fit makes sense. His 4.39 forty gives the Chiefs something their backfield has lacked: difference-maker home run speed. His pre-draft knock on Smith was hesitancy when reading traffic in tight spaces, but that's a coachable issue that typically improves with NFL reps and experience. His most likely role in Kansas City is a passing-down specialist in the mold of Jerick McKinnon's 2022 season (56/512/9), a mismatch weapon out of the backfield who can stress defenses in space. His size (5'10" and 195 lbs.) raises legitimate questions about his durability and effectiveness as a pass protector, which could limit his three-down value early on. But Smith’s more than just an outside runner. He has a feel for interior gaps and the foot speed to turn a crease into a chunk gain. Once in the open field, Smith is elusive and difficult to bring down cleanly, even if he doesn't have the power to run through contact at the finish. Kansas City gave Smith 69 touches in his rookie season, leading to 323 combined yards with a touchdown and 25 catches. He gained only 3.4 yards per rush and 6.9 yards per catch. The Chiefs gave him winning touches (19) in only Week 7 (14/39 with five catches for 42 yards). Fantasy Outlook: The changes in Kansas City’s backfield put Smith in a battled with incoming rookie Emmitt Johnson for RB2 snaps and
touches. His ADP (265) in the early high-stakes draft season in the NFFC is more than 100 slots higher than Johnson's, showing who the fantasy market is placing their handcuff bet on in this backfield.
WR Jalen Royals, KC - Not Draft Worthy
Royals emerged as one of the more productive receivers in the Mountain West in 2023, catching 71 passes for 1,080 yards and 15 touchdowns for Utah State. He was virtually unstoppable down the stretch, scoring in seven of his final eight games and rattling off three consecutive dominant performances (7/185/3, 6/140/2, and 7/125/2) that put him on the draft radar. 2024 was interrupted by a left leg injury that cost him five games, but his flashes were still there. After a modest start (5/77/1, 6/47, and 4/44), he caught fire over the following four contests (10/112/1, 9/211/2, 10/155/1, and 11/188/1), showing the kind of volume and big-play ability that translates. His career yards per catch (15.2) and a 4.42 forty at the 2025 NFL Combine round out a profile worth paying attention to. What stands out on tape is the naturalness of his game. Royals runs routes with an easy, flowing rhythm and has a feel for finding soft spots against zone coverage. After the catch, he's a threat, thanks to shimmy and shoulder fakes at the second level, regularly turning completions into chunk gains. His hands are reliable, and his open-field running ability is a genuine plus. His areas that need work are his release package at the line and overall strength, both of which will be tested against NFL-caliber corners more frequently than he faced in college. My CeeDee Lamb comparison may raise eyebrows given the level of competition, but the traits that made Lamb a volume slot receiver are visible in Royals' game: spacing instincts, yards after catch, and inside route feel. The Chiefs selected Royals in the fourth round of the 2025 NFL Draft. Kansas City only had him on the field for 86 plays in his rookie season, leading to two catches for four yards on three targets. Fantasy Outlook: Royals will go undrafted in all early drafts until a summer report puts more shine on his name. I like his potential, putting him in the must-follow category in 2026.
WR Tyquan Thornton, KC - Deep-league Only
Over three quiet seasons with the Patriots (39/452/3 on 76 targets), Thornton ended up being a surprising injury cover for Xavier Worthy and Rashee Rice over four games. He flashed in Week 2 (2/59/1), followed by three playable outcomes (5/71/1, 1/11/1, and 3/90) while re receiving 21 combined targets. The Chiefs only looked his way 12 more times over his next nine games (6/166 – 27.7 yards per catch). His season ended with three weeks to go due to a concussion. Fantasy Outlook: The Chiefs saw enough in his game to sign Thornton to a two-year, $11 million contract in March. Kansas City will feature him as a deep threat, with a minimal week to week opportunity without another wide receiver injury.
WR Cyrus Allen, KC - Gamble (high risk)
Our projections for Cyrus Allen remain low despite his impressive training camp because he faces a highly crowded Kansas City Chiefs target hierarchy and historical analytical headwinds that limit his immediate rookie volume. While the rookie fifth-round pick has turned heads in St. Joseph with spectacular one-handed catches and early chemistry with Patrick Mahomes, turning camp hype into consistent fantasy production requires a realistic path to targets.
- The Math of a Crowded Hierarchy: Assuming the offense stays healthy, the top of the Chiefs' passing tree is firmly locked down. Between Travis Kelce, Rashee Rice, and Xavier Worthy, a massive chunk of Mahomes' pass attempts are already spoken for. When you account for the running backs and depth tight ends, there are roughly 80 vacated targets left for the entire rest of the wide receiver room. Without an injury ahead of him, Allen is fighting for scraps as the offense's 5th or 6th progression.
- Draft Capital & Historical Precedent: Taken 176th overall in the fifth round, Allen faces a steep uphill battle. Over the last five years, Day 3 wide receivers have rarely made an immediate statistical impact as rookies. Aside from rare outliers like Tyreek Hill, Andy Reid's complex offensive system historically demands a learning curve for late-round rookies, meaning Allen's early-season usage may lean heavier on special teams and gadget roles.
- College Analytical Profile: Despite a flashy final season at Cincinnati where he caught 13 touchdowns, Allen's broader collegiate profile raises some flags. Across five years spanning Louisiana Tech, Texas A&M, and Cincinnati, he struggled to command a dominant, sustained target share or consistently surpass a 20% mark. True target-earning alpha profiles usually show dominance earlier in their college careers.
- Preseason Realities: While his camp highlights are undeniable, his live-game preseason action has mirrored his projection. Through his first two preseason games, he has been targeted heavily (10 targets) but has managed just 5 receptions for 27 yards, showing a very low average depth of target (-1.7 ADOT against the Buccaneers) while running with backup quarterbacks.
