RADIO
Coming off of a year in which they didn’t throw a single touchdown pass to a wide receiver, the Kansas City Chiefs brought in Jeremy Maclin in the hopes of boosting the offense. Alex Smith may not be the most spectacular quarterback in the NFL, but between the addition of Maclin, superstar running back Jamaal Charles, and another year of tight end Travis Kelce, this is an offense that is trending in the right direction.
Offseason Acquisitions: WR Jeremy Maclin, WR Chris Conley
No Longer on the Roster: WR Dwayne Bowe
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Quarterback
Here’s a fun stat you’re likely to hear fairly frequently this summer: Alex Smith ranked dead last in the NFL among qualified quarterbacks (33rd) in average depth per target. That’s a fancy way of saying Alex Smith doesn’t throw the ball down the field enough. That goes hand-in-hand with the fact that the Chiefs didn’t throw a TD to a receiver the entire season.
Smith’s first two years in Kansas City have been both consistent and decent enough to warrant bye week fill-in status. He’s ranked just outside the top 20 at the position, a ranking that basically boots him out of consideration in anything but a two-quarterback league. That’s not a knock on Alex Smith’s talent but rather his limited upside. His floor might be high given his consistency and lack of mistakes (he always has a low interception total), but his ceiling is very low. He doesn't have anywhere near the amount of fantasy potential as Teddy Bridgewater, Jay Cutler, or even rookie Jameis Winston.
Bringing in Jeremy Maclin should certainly help the passing game, but that analysis is better served for the receiver in question. Even with the news that the Chiefs have been working on their passing attack in the offseason, it’s hard to get excited about Alex Smith’s fantasy potential. Again, he’s worth a bye week fill-in, but I suggest you look elsewhere for a bench stash or your QB2.
Wide Receivers
Now that the whimpering Dwayne Bowe is off to try and salvage his career in Cleveland of all places, the Chiefs will trot out Jeremy Maclin and…well, no one else of significance. Maclin leaves a Philadelphia Eagles team in which he was the primary receiver in 2014, putting together a stellar year under head coach Chip Kelly. Now, he’s reunited with his former coach Andy Reid. Certainly his 1,318 yards and 10 touchdowns aren’t exactly repeatable in Kansas City, but getting back together with his old coach keeps him relevant as a WR3/flex play with WR2 upside.
I can’t possibly imagine the trend of the Chiefs not throwing a touchdown to a wide receiver to continue with Maclin now on the roster. It’s likely that Andy Reid realized how feeble the air attack was and brought in a reliable weapon whom he’s coached before. That’s a solid nod of confidence for Maclin, a receiver who is ranked toward the back end of the top-30. In nearly every mock draft I’ve done this summer, I find myself taking Maclin well ahead of his ranking. I have confidence that the duo of Maclin and Reid can reinvigorate the Kansas City passing game even with Alex Smith under center. Throw in some additional PPR value and there’s a great chance Maclin is one of these year’s fantasy steals.
As excited as I am about the guy, Maclin definitely still has health concerns. He missed all of 2013 with a torn ACL and there was a slight scare before the start of last season. He's also consistently banged up, missing some games here and there. That being said, it’s not like you have to draft him at some great cost. There’s a good chance you’re taking him as a WR3/flex with the hopes that he turns into more, and that’s good enough for me.
Unless you have a reason to get excited about the likes of De’Anthony Thomas, Jason Avant, or Frankie Hammond that I am unaware of, there isn’t a single other receiver worth your fantasy consideration on the Kansas City Chiefs.
Running Backs
If you’ve been doing your fantasy homework this far into the summer, you’re likely privy to the fact that Jamaal Charles is in the conversation for number one overall this season. Charles has to compete with the likes of Le’Veon Bell, Adrian Peterson, Marshawn Lynch, and Eddie Lacy for that top spot. The argument for Charles is simple: the offense clearly utilizes the run game efficiently and he doesn’t need a ton of attempts to be effective. His 1,033 yards and nine touchdowns on just 206 attempts is evidence of that fact. Those 206 attempts were just the 16th-most among running backs yet Charles still managed to finish as the sixth-best fantasy running back last year.
There really aren't a whole lot of negatives to a guy like Jamaal Charles. There’s a false stigma surrounding him that he has health concerns when in reality he’s only ever had one big injury. He tore his ACL in 2011, but other than that he’s only missed three games in six seasons. Sure he gets banged up here and there, but overall he still manages to produce. When it comes down to it, you’re going to have to nitpick between the top five running backs and choose the one you’re most comfortable with. Charles is the most explosive of the group but will almost certainly have the fewest rushing attempts. His 110 receptions over the last two seasons should help put your mind at ease. Personally, I have him ranked third behind the likes of Bell and Peterson, but I don’t have a strong argument against him. It really does come down to personal preference.
Tight Ends
Tight end Travis Kelce continues to get talked up as the next big thing at the position. Kelce finished 2014 with an impressive 862 yards and five touchdowns, numbers that he should improve upon in his second season. With a nickname like “Zeus,” it’s no wonder that he continues to be a trendy pick at TE. With tons of talk about the Chiefs opening up the offense, a nice one-two punch of Maclin and Kelce could work tremendously for fantasy purposes. Kelce certainly warrants being the fourth or fifth tight end off the board as long as you realize you’re likely taking a hit at another position. Whether it’s flex, QB, RB2, or WR2, snagging a tight end earlier rather than later doesn’t come free.
Rookies
The only offensive rookie acquisition the Chiefs made in the draft was that of wide receiver Chris Conley out of the University of Georgia. Much like the other three receivers I mentioned earlier, Conley won’t play a major role in this offense anytime soon. Stick to Maclin and worry about Conley if and when the time comes.
Summary
The Chiefs are a fairly “under the radar” type of team that could surprise some folks in 2015. It’s not all that common for a team to produce three fantasy relevant players at three different positions that don’t include quarterback, but this is an offense that can do it. Alex Smith is competent enough to get the ball to Maclin and Kelce in bunches while Jamaal Charles handles the bulk of the run game. This isn’t a superstar offense but one that you should still be able to rely on.
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