Dynasty Fantasy Football Outlook for Chiefs | Are Isiah Pacheco, Rashee Rice, Travis Kelce and Others Long-Term Assets?

With the NFL season now behind us, fans have turned their attention to next season. 

While redraft fantasy football leagues are done for the season, dynasty leagues start to pick up steam again as the offseason kicks off. We’ve covered long-term dynasty outlooks for several teams already, but let’s dive into the outlooks for the two Super Bowl teams today. We’ll mostly focus on the long-term fantasy outlooks of offensive players on the teams, but we’ll also touch on what those players’ values are in redraft leagues too.

We’ll start with the Kansas City Chiefs. Check back later for the outlook for the San Francisco 49ers.

Quarterback Outlook

We won’t spend too much time on this section. The Chiefs are set for the long haul with Patrick Mahomes.

He didn’t have the greatest regular season (by his lofty standards), but he delivered time and time again in the postseason to help Kansas City win it all again. He’s still one of the best dynasty quarterbacks out there, with only Josh Allen and Jalen Hurts preferred over him, and that’s only because of their running ability/rushing touchdowns.

I expect the Chiefs to add some weapons around Mahomes this offseason, so while his draft stock may have taken a little hit, I fully expect him to one of the first quarterbacks drafted in all fantasy leagues before next season

Running Back Outlook

Isiah Pacheco is the only Chiefs’ running back that’s signed with the team for next season. Clyde Edwards-Helaire and Jerick McKinnon are both unrestricted free agents.

Pacheco had a solid regular season, but was really used as a workhorse in the postseason. The team clearly trusts him, and I don’t expect that to change going forward. As long as he can stay healthy, he’s got the chance to be one of the better fantasy backs in the game.

He’s a pretty strong dynasty asset still at only 24 years old. I’d say he’s a bit better option in redraft leagues, especially now with not a ton of offensive firepower on the team.

I don’t think it’s too likely that Edwards-Helaire is back with the team after a minimal role most of the season, but I could see the team re-signing McKinnon to serve that pass-catching role they love him in.

I think there’s a decent chance that KC drafts another RB this offseason, as that’d probably be a cheaper and better long-term option than signing a free agent. Whoever ends up serving as the team’s No. 2 option isn’t likely to be a big fantasy asset unless Pacheco misses games though. With Mahomes around, there’s only so many touches that can go to running backs.

Pass Catchers Outlook

The Chiefs could use an infusion of talent at wide receiver, and might need to start thinking about a replacement for tight end Travis Kelce.

Kelce and rookie wideout Rashee Rice were easily the team’s top pass-catching options this season, but they didn’t get much consistent help around them. Mecole Hardman and Richie James are the only wideouts that are set to become free agents in the offseason, but between the draft, free agency and trades, I’d expect several new names in the wideout room.

Noah Gray has been a solid backup tight end for KC, but I wouldn’t be shocked if they used a draft pick on another TE. Kelce definitely took a step back during the regular season (although he looked like his old self often throughout the postseason), and as he nears retirement, the Chiefs need to be ready. 

Any wideout that plays on a team with Mahomes has some kind of fantasy value, but Rice and Kelce are really the only two options that fantasy owners trust right now. They are probably also the only two that would get drafted based on what we saw this season. I’d be shocked if there isn’t an emphasis put on surrounding Mahomes with some more talent this offseason.

How to Proceed

For a team that just won the Super Bowl, there really aren’t many great dynasty options on the offensive side of the ball.

Mahomes is obviously a quarterback you’d like to own. If there was ever an offseason in which you might be able to trade for him, this might be the one. I’m not saying you’d be able to acquire him for cheap, but his value is probably down a decent amount from the past couple offseasons. 

Pacheco is the only back currently on the roster that has a ton of dynasty value. I think it’s a pretty safe bet that he’s the workhorse back for at least one more season, but his ceiling is definitely capped by being on the same team as Mahomes. He shouldn’t be too difficult to acquire in trade talks and offers better fantasy value than he’d probably go for in a trade.

As of now, the only real big dynasty options at WR and TE are Rice and Kelce. 

Rice definitely is a great dynasty asset, but you’re going to have to pay to acquire him. He should be the team’s clear-cut No. 1 option next regular season, even if the team acquires a couple new wideouts. 

Kelce still probably has a couple good seasons in him, but I’d be in favor of moving on from him now. He took a step back this season and is going to continue to deal with injury concerns as he ages. He’s still a top-end fantasy TE, but I’d cash in on his value before it’s wiped out.