As part of our 2021 Fantasy Preview series, we present the Kansas City Chiefs
Team Overview
Kansas City are a fantastic offense to watch. The team are full of dynamic playmakers, led by their QB Patrick Mahomes. During the offseason, the team strengthened a weakness of theirs that came into focus in the SuperBowl- their offensive line.
Given their strengths, there are going to be several parts of this offense that are drafted early this season.
2021 Fantasy Preview Kansas City Chiefs- Projected Depth Chart
Individual Players
Studs
- Travis Kelce: Kelce is a TE for fantasy, but really plays like a WR. Infact, over the past few seasons he would be a top-WR in scoring. Kelce is one of the two main receivers for the team, and given the potency of the offense, should continue to get plenty of work.
- Tyreek Hill: Hill is one of the most dynamic players in the league. His agility allows him to find the smallest of gaps in defenses, and his top end speed gets him away from the chasing pack. A top talent.
- Patrick Mahomes: The man that makes this offense tick. A huge arm allows him to make any pass look easy and has good speed when he scrambles. Should once again be at the top of positional scoring.
Role Players
- Clyde Edwards-Helaire: Last season he disappointed for fantasy. The reason was that his ADP was pushed up to a point where he had to perform to an incredibly high standard. This season, his ADP is more reasonable, and he should be an effective performer on your roster.
Keep an eye on
- Mecole Hardman: Hardman has an opportunity to step up from the limited role he has had in previous seasons. The team allowed Sammy Watkins to leave, which leaves an opportunity for someone to step as the second (third?) receiver on this team.
- Darrel Williams: Williams was used last season alongside Edwards-Helaire, and will likely fill a similar role to last season. If something were to happen, then Williams could have incredible value.
Dynasty Stashes
- Cornell Powell: Powell is worth a stash currently, just because we don’t know how this receiver room is going to shake out. We could see Powell have some involvement this season, and with a number of offensive pieces inplace for multiple seasons, this offense should continue to be one of the better ones in the league.
***Note: All projections and discussions are assuming full PPR formats.***
IDP Analysis With IDPIggy
Key Additions
Jarren Reed
Fantasy Football Starters
Anthony Hitchens (LB), Tyrann Mathieu (DB), Daniel Sorensen (DB), Chris Jones (DL) (deeper leagues)
The Chiefs were forced to make huge roster moves to protect their franchise quarterback. Most of those moves happened on the offensive line. They were able to resign a few key components of their defense. DL Frank Clark, the chiefs best pass rusher, was caught with several firearms including illegal weapons. He is being pursued by the state, he will be found guilty, and he will lose playing time. DL Taco Charlton will likely step into a starting role, and hence why he was brought back.
DB Daniel Sorensen resigned as well adding depth behind DB Tyrann Mathieu.‘Dirty Dan’ often plays in sub packages and gets plenty of snaps for big plays. DB Charvarius Ward and DB L’Jarius Sneed will have to uphold against some great WR combos, but Ward signed a new deal and they must have faith in him. Defensive coordinator Steve Spagnuolo is one of the greatest defensive minds of this century, and he will be able to work some magic. It will be difficult for the defense to have the success it had the previous two years, but QB Patrick Mahomes could bail them out more than once this upcoming season.
2021 Fantasy Preview Kansas City Chiefs- Stat Projections
Passing
| Player Name | Pos | Comp | Att | Yards | TDs | INTs |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Patrick Mahomes | QB | 416 | 597 | 4,918 | 36 | 6 |
Receiving
| Player Name | Pos | Targets | Rec | Yards | Yds/Rec | TDs |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Travis Kelce | TE | 139 | 97 | 1,203 | 12.4 | 9 |
Tyreek Hill | WR | 139 | 93 | 1,414 | 15.2 | 11 |
Mecole Hardman | WR | 90 | 60 | 870 | 14.5 | 6 |
Clyde Edwards-Helaire | RB | 72 | 51 | 464 | 9.1 | 4 |
Rushing
| Player Name | Pos | Att | Yards | Yds/Att | TDs |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Clyde Edwards-Helaire | RB | 177 | 796 | 4.5 | 6 |
Darrel Williams | RB | 98 | 432 | 4.4 | 1 |
Patrick Mahomes | QB | 39 | 212 | 5.4 | 2 |
***Note Player Projections are only fantasy relevant players. Team totals may not add up as we left out players that may not have a significant impact on the season. Projections provided by Rich King and is based on 16 games.***
Team Projection
| Record | HC | OC |
|---|---|---|
10-7 | Andy Reid | Eric Bieniemy |
| Rush Att | Rush Yards | Rush TDs | Passing Att | Passing Yards | Passing TDs | Total Yards | Total TDs |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
393 | 1,805 | 13 | 603 | 4,968 | 36 | 6,773 | 49 |
31st | 25th | 28th | 3rd | 1st | 2nd | 4th | 5th |
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Image Credit: Jay Biggerstaff – USA TODAY Sports
