With future Hall of Fame QB Patrick Mahomes on the mend from a torn ACL, there's more ambiguity surrounding the 2026 Kansas City Chiefs than we've been used to in seasons past.Ian Hartitz and Dwain McFarland bring you everything you need to know about the Chiefs for fantasy football with their 2026 fantasy football cheat sheet, highlighting their fantasy football rankings, projections and more.

Kansas City Chiefs Team Cheat Sheet For 2026

• 2025 Record / Rank in PPG: 6-11 / 21.3 (22)
• 2026 Proj TDs per game: 2.5 (rank: 13)
• Head Coach: Andy Reid
• Offensive Playcaller: Reid (OC Eric Bieniemy)
• Projected Plays Per Game: 62 (rank: 4)
• Projected Dropback Rate: 64% (rank: 2)
• Matthew Freedman’s Projected Win Total: 9.5
• Offensive Line Grade: C
• Key Departures: Trent McDuffie, Jaylen Watson
• Key Additions: Kenneth Walker, Justin Fields, Emmett Johnson

Chiefs Fantasy Football Rankings And Depth Chart

• QB: Patrick Mahomes (QB13) | Justin Fields (QB38)
• RB: Kenneth Walker (RB6) | Emmett Johnson (RB54) | Brashard Smith (RB82)
• WR: Rashee Rice (WR7) | Xavier Worthy (WR55) | Tyquan Thornton (WR86)
• TE: Travis Kelce (TE9)

Fantasy Football Overview For The 2026 Chiefs

Patrick Mahomes is tentatively expected to be ready to go for Week 1 following 2025's season-ending ACL injury. Hopefully, the return of former OC Eric Bieniemy gets this passing attack back to operating with elite efficiency, as it's unlikely we see Mahomes reach the same rushing heights (career-high 30.1 rushing yards per game in 2024) less than 12 months removed from major knee surgery.

Kenneth Walker signed a three-year, $43.05 million deal to work as Kansas City's new workhorse back. The Super Bowl MVP has been a top-2 RB in tackles avoided per carry in each of the past three seasons and provides a much-needed boost of explosiveness to this backfield. We probably shouldn't overthink 300+ touches for a high-end talent like Walker in an offense led by Mahomes.

Rashee Rice isn't facing suspension risk ahead of 2026 and is in play as a top-6 fantasy receiver. While his route tree won't be confused with the top real-life talents at the position, his 18.8 PPR points per game in 2025 were the fifth-highest mark at the position. Xavier Worthy is an interesting post-hype bounce-back candidate, considering he was forced to play the entirety of 2025 with a torn labrum and ankle injury. Still, Tyquan Thornton is fresh off leading the NFL in yards per catch and hinders Worthy's potential to emerge as the offense's go-to deep-ball threat.

Travis Kelce looked to have a bit more juice than we've seen in recent years on his way to working as fantasy's TE9 in PPR points per game in 2025. Getting a full season from Rice won't help Kelce rack up his familiar low-aDOT targets, but the future Hall of Famer still possesses triple-digit target potential—not a bad deal at a TE2 price tag in fantasy land.

Utilization Notes For The 2026 Chiefs

Rashee Rice has had his share of off-field problems, but the NFL is not seeking a 2026 suspension. When it comes to fantasy production, Rice has been elite. Over the last three seasons, including the NFL playoffs, Rice has averaged 18 fantasy points in 21 games in which he played at least 65% of pass plays. Of players with at least 500 routes over that span, he ranks fifth in points per route (0.55) and ninth in yards per route (2.31). Patrick Mahomes is recovering from a late-season ACL tear, but Rice is a mid-range WR1 with Mahomes.

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