Rashee Rice Is The Pass Catcher On Chiefs To Own In Fantasy Football

Key Takeaways

• Rashee Rice now outperforms Travis Kelce, making him the top fantasy player on the Chiefs.
• Rice should be valued as a WR1 moving forward.
• It’s time to trade Kelce for a younger, more productive tight end.

Travis Kelce is no longer the best NFL Fantasy Football option on the Kansas City Chiefs, as Rashee Rice is the new passer catcher to own. Despite looming suspension conversations during the offseason, Rice is producing at an even higher level than during his rookie season. More importantly, Rice has become the Chiefs’ most productive pass catcher, dethroning Kelce.

Through two weeks, Rice is performing over four times the amount of production that Kelce is outputting. Rice has more than double the number of targets and three times the number of receptions. If you can’t see it yet, the Chiefs have quickly transitioned Rice into becoming the focal point of this offense, not Kelce.

It was a matter of time when Kelce’s production would decline, but it feels strange now that it’s finally happening. A lot of it isn’t even Kelce’s play necessarily declining, but Rice emerging as a more explosive player in the Chiefs’ offense. Right now, the offensive scheme is designed to get the ball to Rice instead of Kelce, which is a drastic shift. His performance against the Atlanta Falcons further emphasizes that he’s the guy Patrick Mahomes is looking for first.

Chiefs fans won’t be upset by this transition, as Andy Reid is shifting the offense to focus around their best young wide receiver, as opposed to their aging star tight end. However, it has serious implications for fantasy football, as Kelce’s been the consensus TE1 in every fantasy draft over the last decade. Now, fantasy managers may want to pivot towards other tight ends and draft Rice.

Rashee Rice Has Erupted To Fantasy WR1 Status

Rice’s early 2024 production has elevated him to become a top-12 fantasy wide receiver throughout the remainder of the season.

Credit: Kirby Lee-USA TODAY Sports

Entering the 2024 season, Rice was the consensus WR30 in PPR leagues, but it’s time to value him as a WR1. Through the Week 3 Sunday Slate, Rice is currently the WR15. After he shined on Sunday Night Football, it’s hard to imagine that will be one of his last strong performances.

With several injuries at the wide receiver position, including A.J. Brown and Puka Nacua, Rice has comfortably placed himself among the best. Between the production and the number of opportunities on one of the league’s best offenses, Rice needs to be treated as one of the best in all formats, especially in dynasty formats.

Of the current top-10 consensus fantasy football wide receiver rankings, Rice is outscoring seven of them. Rice provides the stability that you want in a high-end wide receiver, along with the potential to score 30+ points in any given week.

It’s Time To Trade Travis Kelce

Kelce’s days as the TE1 are over, so it’s best to trade him to acquire a younger, better fantasy tight end.

Jay Biggerstaff-Imagn Images

It’s always hard to let go of an all-time great fantasy player, but if you have the opportunity to trade Kelce, trade him. Based on his production through three games, it’s highly unlikely that he will live up to his high expectations from the past, and the ADP he was drafted at. This especially matters in dynasty formats, as there might not be another chance to sell Kelce, as he will either continue to see a decline in his production, or retire.

Since Mahomes was drafted, Kelce has always been the focal point of the Chiefs’ offense. Clearly, that is no longer the case. If fantasy managers in your league are still interested in acquiring him due to his name value, let them.

There are several other tight ends worth rostering over Kelce, including Trey McBride, Sam LaPorta, Brock Bowers, and Jake Ferguson. Even for a player like LaPorta who has struggled, you can expect him to rebound as a core part of the Detroit Lions offense that is young and improving. Kelce’s in the complete opposite situation, as he’s past his prime and no longer the focus of the Chiefs offense.

All stats are courtesy of Fantasy Pros, Pro Football Reference, and Sleeper.

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