The Kansas City Chiefs were dealt an awful blow when running back Jamaal Charles tore his ACL against the Chicago Bears in Week 5. The Chiefs had high hopes coming into this season, but after a 1-4 start and now having to sideline their best player for the year, the optimism has since dampened in Kansas City. Now, it's time for wide receiver Jeremy Maclin to step up to the plate.
The Chiefs brought Maclin in because they didn't have a wide receiver capable of scaring any defensive back last season. The familiarity Maclin had with Andy Reid made sense to bring him in, and he's done great for the Chiefs so far. Maclin is averaging nearly 100 yards per game and he's seeing a healthy amount of targets from Alex Smith. Maclin has averaged 12 targets, 9 receptions, and 14.4 fantasy points per game over his last three games.
Look for that trend to continue against a Minnesota Vikings defense that has been shaky defending the pass this season. The Vikings are tied for 24th in the NFL in passing yards allowed per game, and they've also surrendered 10 passing plays of more than 20 yards in just 4 games this season.
With Charles out of the lineup, look for a heavy dose of Maclin on Sunday to help Kansas City's offense get going. If the Chiefs want to get back in the win column, they need to keep Maclin involved.