Game Info
Kickoff: Monday, October 7th, 2024, 8:15 ET
Location: GEHA Field at Arrowhead Stadium, Kansas City, Missouri
Network: ESPN
New Orleans Saints
Quarterback
Derek Carr: Sit, QB2
Derek Carr slides in as my QB23 this week due to a matchup with a tough Chiefs defense in a hostile road environment. After a hot start to the season, Carr has failed to reach double-digit fantasy points in each of the past two weeks. There are very likely better streaming options for you available on the waiver wire.
Running Back
Alvin Kamara: Start, RB1
Jamaal Williams: Sit
It’s unstoppable force meets immovable object this week, as the red-hot Alvin Kamara matches up against this season’s stingiest defense against opposing RBs. Kamara has over 100 scrimmage yards in every game this season and 6 touches to add on top of his prolific yardage totals. You can fire him up as a surefire RB1 even in this difficult matchup, while Jamaal Williams can be left on waivers.
Wide Receiver
Chris Olave: Start, WR2
Rashid Shaheed: FLEX Option
Despite playing through some hamstring soreness in Week 4, Chris Olave posted season-highs in targets, receptions, and yardage. After a slow start to the season, Olave has been trending up over the past few weeks and has narrowly missed scoring in Weeks 3 and 5, meaning his fantasy production could easily look much better. Even against a tough Chiefs defense, I’m counting on Olave to produce numbers on the WR1/2 borderline as my WR13 this week. After posting a goose egg in Week 3, Rashid Shaheed bounced back in a big way in Week 4 by also posting season highs in targets and receptions. Shaheed’s big-play ability combined with his volatility in target share make him a prototypical boom/bust FLEX option, but he has the potential to rise up the ranks if he continues to show involvement similar to Week 4.
Tight End
Taysom Hill: Sit, TE2
Juwan Johnson: Sit
Taysom Hill continues to defy anything and everything we know about the game of fantasy football. After missing Week 3 with an injury, Hill returned to action in Week 4 by scoring two goal-line touchdowns before leaving with a new rib injury. It’s unclear if he’ll play in Week 5, but even if he does, you are essentially playing blindfolded darts when it comes to his production. Looking elsewhere is the smart choice. Juwan Johnson is a classic TD-or-bust TE option, but the bust is more likely than other TEs in this tier, making him a recommended sit for Week 5.
Kansas City Chiefs
Quarterback
Patrick Mahomes II: Start, QB1
Yes, it’s been an absolutely brutal start for Patrick Mahomes, at least in terms of fantasy production. The Chiefs may stand at 4-0, but the face of the NFL has yet to post a QB1 fantasy finish through four weeks. It’s certainly not what fantasy managers were expecting. Things won’t get much easier in Week 5 with the loss of Mahomes’ top option, Rashee Rice, and a matchup against the Saints, who allow the fourth-fewest points to opposing QBs. Mahomes remains the last QB1 option as my QB12 this week, thanks in part to a few teams being on bye. Another disappointing performance will likely have Mahomes, somewhat unbelievably, outside of the top 12 options next week.
Running Back
Kareem Hunt: FLEX Option
Samaje Perine: Sit
Carson Steele: Sit
Kareem Hunt returned to the fantasy fray in Week 4 and immediately seized control of the Chiefs’ backfield following an untimely fumble from rookie Carson Steele. Hunt seems like the most likely option to maintain a strong opportunity share in Week 5, making him the strongest FLEX option of the group. Samaje Perine maintains some emergency FLEX value, but you’re likely counting on another touchdown after Perine received zero targets in the passing game last week. Steele is relegated to a non-factor after last week’s events, and the impending return of Clyde Edwards-Helaire only complicates things for these complementary members of the backfield.
Wide Receiver
Xavier Worthy: FLEX Option
Justin Watson: Sit
JuJu Smith-Schuster: Sit
The headline with the Chiefs’ wide receiver group is obviously Rashee Rice. It was feared that Rice had a torn ACL, but at the time of writing this, reports are coming out that he may have avoided the season-ending injury. Either way, you can expect to be without Rice for around a month, if not more. Many think Xavier Worthy will be a primary beneficiary of Rice’s departure, but I don’t see him assuming the same role Rice was playing in this offense. Worthy’s game-breaking speed should keep him in the FLEX conversation as a deep ball threat, but we’ll need to see increased usage before we move him up our rankings, even in Rice’s absence. Meanwhile, Justin Watson and JuJu Smith-Schuster should be left on your benches for now as we understand how the target distribution will look in a post-Rice world.
Tight End
Travis Kelce: Start, TE1
The real value spike I expect to see for the Chiefs without Rashee Rice is Travis Kelce. Kelce has had a down season, as all of his middle-of-the-field targets were being swallowed up by Rice, and in his absence, I expect Kelce to step up in a major way. Kelce posted a vintage line in Week 4, hauling in 7 of 9 targets for 89 yards. All that’s missing now is that first touchdown of the season. I don’t want to play the wide receiver carousel for the Chiefs. It’s Travis Kelce time again.