Mecole Hardman

Congratulations to all the fantasy managers out there who waited patiently for the breakout game from Chiefs WR Rashee Rice. The rookie hauled in 8 of his team-high 10 targets in Week 12 vs. the Raiders for 109 receiving yards and a TD. What s exciting here is that his 71% route participation rate and 31.3% target share from this contest are Rice s highest marks this season. Some of this bump in usage can be attributed to the fact that his teammate Mecole Hardman landed on IR with a thumb injury, and Kadarius Toney (ankle, hip) was inactive on Sunday, but that shouldn t discount the fact that Rice stepped up to the plate for a Chiefs offense that d been struggling of late. It ll be intriguing to see if the Chiefs will maintain his usage next week in a decent matchup vs. the Packers (24th in pass defense DVOA in 2023). At the very least, Rice will be worth keeping on the flex monitor in lineups.

It looks like the Chiefs may have to wait a little longer to see the dividends from their recent reacquisition of wide receiver Mecole Hardman as they have officially placed their former second-round pick on injured reserve. The move comes after Hardman reportedly sprained his thumb during the team’s loss to the Eagles last week. […]

The Chiefs' receiver woes continue.

Hardman was hurt in Kansas City's loss to Philadelphia

Chiefs WR Kadarius Toney (ankle, hip) has been ruled out for Sunday's game vs. the Raiders. With WR Mecole Hardman (thumb) on IR, the Chiefs are down to five WRs: Rashee Rice, Justin Watson, Marquez Valdes-Scantling, Skyy Moore, and Richie James. Rice remains the top fantasy option here but still ran a route on just 52% of pass plays coming off the bye last week. Watson led the way with a 66% route rate and 11 targets in that loss to the Eagles but would still be tough to trust in Week 12 fantasy lineups.