To start or to bench? The Chiefs' weapon has much more potential in Week 1 than it does in the future

The Kansas City Chiefs are generally a smart offense to bet on in fantasy football. Last season was a slight aberration, though. Even Travis Kelce had his down periods. Patrick Mahomes will always be ranked among the top QBs, but it’s fair to wonder how the individual pieces around him will perform through the cold, hard lens of fantasy.

Isiah Pecheco and Travis Kelce are the strongest and safest bets: a powerful back and the NFL’s most dominant tight end. Even after mixed results in 2023, Kelce should produce as well as anyone at his position. However, how the Chiefs’ WR room performs will be a big focus for many. There are plenty of golden opportunities to buy Kansas City wideouts on the cheap. If the right connection works with Mahomes, there could be major rewards for those who make the move.

There are probably three Chiefs receivers who are actually worth investing 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 expected to be suspended in the distant future. It's unclear when the league will actually go after him, but Rice was responsible for multiple injuries in a reckless driving accident, so he's expected to miss a significant amount of time.

As for which Chiefs receiver deserves the No. 2 spot, that's a more complex question. Hollywood Brown and Xavier Worthy both fill similar niches on paper. They're small, skinny, and totally explosive receivers who can blow the lid off a defense and wreak havoc after the catch. The Chiefs have plenty of room for multiple receivers in that mold, but there's a good chance one of them is truly Mahomes' favorite target when it comes to deep balls.

For those making lineup changes on Thursday night, Worthy is among the best upside bets for Week 1. It's never a sure thing to count on rookies in fantasy — especially not in Week 1 — but Worthy should receive a healthy share of targets with Hollywood sidelined. Brown was officially ruled out of Thursday Night Football after suffering a shoulder injury in the Chiefs' preseason opener. He could miss another week or two, depending on unknown factors.

That puts Worthy on a pedestal right out of the gate. It also means Worthy has been able to get more reps with Mahomes, both in practice and in the preseason, since Brown's injury. That could prove to be an early-season advantage, even after Brown returns.

In the long run, though, Brown has more experience to draw on and is a generally “safe” projection over 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 camp and he’s going to face a tough adjustment period at the NFL level. It won’t matter much if Mahomes focuses on Worthy, but once Brown returns, he could very quickly take a share of Worthy’s weekly target share.

Both Worthy and Brown can score a 60-yard touchdown at any time, so there will be potential every week. As for who emerges as a more stable WR2 in the Chiefs’ offense, the safest bet all season is probably Brown. That obviously won’t apply to Week 1, though. Add Worthy to those lineups and see if he can use his signature speed to pull off a big win against the Baltimore Ravens’ stingy defense. With Mahomes throwing the ball, almost anything is possible.