RADIO
BALLER MOVE: Target Around ~118 Overall
CURRENT ADP: ~126
ANALYSIS: Jerick McKinnon is one of the best values right now that can be had in the RB4 range of your fantasy drafts. He finished as the RB26 last year in half-PPR PPG. If you’re waiting on running back, McKinnon is one heck of a target late. That’s because he’s guaranteed to reprise his role as the Chiefs’ primary pass-catching back.
The team has elected to run their backfield back and that’s great news for McKinnon’s fantasy value. Last year, he finished with 71 targets (ninth-most among RBs), 56 receptions (ninth), and 512 receiving yards (fourth).
He had a stranglehold on the pass-catching and third-down role in Kansas City and that’s going to continue in 2023 as well. He ran the seventh-most routes with 306 and had an 11.5% target share (15th).
Those numbers could actually go up, believe it or not. That’s because from Weeks 1-6, Clyde Edwards-Helaire was still being routinely used. He averaged a 43.9% snap share during that time compared to McKinnon’s 41.3%. However, from Weeks 7-11 before CEH got hurt, those snap shares changed drastically. During this period, McKinnon’s snap share climbed to 50.4% and CEH’s dropped to 15.1%. From Weeks 7-17, McKinnon was the RB17 in half-PPR PPG.
McKinnon was one of the most efficient pass-catchers on top of it all. As if we needed any more reason to buy in. He finished with a 1.67 yards per route run average, which ranked eighth among RBs. He also had 9.1 yards per reception, which was fourth-highest.
The Chiefs lost JuJu Smith-Schuster, who operated as the team’s No. 2 target, in the offseason. If Skyy Moore, Kadarius Toney, and rookie Rashee Rice struggle to provide consistency, McKinnon could yet have an even bigger role in the passing game!
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