Analyst Questions Rashee Rice’s Status as a No. 1 Fantasy WR

Coming into last season, the Kansas City Chiefs‘ offense seemed destined for a rebound campaign. Less than a full month in, however, two of the club’s top three receiving options were already on the shelf.

The absence of wide receiver Rashee Rice, specifically, was felt big-time. Now on the other side of a season-ending knee injury, many expect the 25-year-old to break out as a true alpha in 2025. As a result, Rice is going early in many fantasy football drafts this summer. One analyst, though, is throwing up the caution flag to potential fantasy owners.

In a July 3 story from the ESPN staff, Eric Moody highlighted Rice as a possible 2025 fantasy “bust.” While Moody certainly isn’t implying that Rice is a bad player, he is wary of the extremely high bar set for the Kansas City star.

Moody: Rashee Rice a Bust as a Surefire Top-20 Fantasy Wideout

Rice living up to his average draft position (ADP) is a tall order, writes Moody. There are things to be aware of regarding the Chiefs’ top wideout.

“Kansas City’s Rashee Rice is being drafted as a top-20 WR despite major red flags,” Moody wrote. “He’s coming off LCL surgery and faces a potential suspension (though one isn’t expected in 2025) and serious target competition from Xavier Worthy, Hollywood Brown and Travis Kelce. Rice flashed elite usage early last season (36% target share in three full games), but that production came during a stretch when Brown was injured and Worthy was still getting acclimated to the league (RB Isiah Pacheco also was sidelined). With just four career WR1 weekly finishes and no proven production in a full-strength offense, Rice’s ADP carries considerable risk.”

Let’s address Moody’s top two concerns in order. First, the LCL injury is admittedly interesting. While it’s a relatively uncommon ailment, it occurred in Week 4 of last season. By the time training camp rolls around, Rice will be nearly 10 full months removed from it. All accounts from OTAs signal that he looks like his old self.

Secondly, Rice has a January 20 date set for a civil suit against him according to online court documents. It’s becoming more and more clear that any discipline from the NFL – if it ever arrives – won’t be handed down until some time in 2026 or beyond.

Ranking the Hierarchy of Chiefs Receiving Options for 2025 Season

Moody’s point about Rice not having proven production in a full-strength offense, for 2024’s purposes, is accurate. But his rookie year saw most key contributors stay healthy and Rice grew over time. After averaging 3.6 receptions and 42 yards per game in Weeks 1-11, the former second-round pick exploded to end the year. In Weeks 12-17, he upped those figures to 7.2 and 86.3, respectively.

Extrapolated to a full season, that stretch would’ve given Rice 122 catches for 1,468 yards and 9 touchdowns. Given the state of Kelce that year (slightly diminished), the SMU product emerged as the go-to option on offense. That didn’t change entering 2024, and it won’t change entering 2025.

The pecking order starts with Rice, then transitions to Kelce. Beyond that, Worthy is poised for a good second season and Brown should improve with another year in the offense. It’s easy to understand Moody’s stance: Kansas City has more mouths to feed. Still, the Chiefs’ offense will run through Rice.

Take someone like Davante Adams for example. He had 85 receptions for 1,063 yards and 8 touchdowns in 2024, finishing as the No. 11-ranked PPR wideout. It’s completely reasonable to expect something similar from Rice, no matter how you slice it.