Four worthwhile (and not-so-obvious) fantasy football pickups from the Chiefs

With a little more than two months till the start of the NFL season, teams are gearing up for training camp and everyone is a bit more hopeful than they were when the 2023 season ended in February.

Much like these NFL teams, fantasy football players are also full of hope. A new season brings a new opportunity to draft, make trades, and find those players that will make the 2024 NFL season magical.

Across the NFL, only a handful of players can make or break your fantasy roster. Some of those players will undoubtedly be superstars, adding another stellar season to their belt, and some will be under-the-radar free-agent signings or new rookies who will lead your squad to victory.

There looks to be some no-brainer players and some behind the scenes additions on the 2024 Kansas City Chiefs to add to your fantasy roster. Let's take a closer look at who should come into view during your draft process.

Chiefs D/ST 

It’s no surprise to Chiefs fans that the Chiefs D/ST are on this list. With a bounce-back season that saw the unit finish 6th in fantasy points, this was a defense on fire last season. Improving from a 13th-place finish in 2022, the Kansas City defense was second in the league in interceptions and points allowed.

However, it cannot be overlooked that the departures of L’Jarius Sneed and Willie Gay will undoubtedly be felt by this unit in 2024. In the same vein, a full year of Nick Bolton and a renewed and newly extended Chris Jones will keep this defensive unit towards the top of the pack in 2024. Keeping much of the same defensive roster from last season bodes well for a unit looking to make life easy for Patrick Mahomes and the offense.

While the Chiefs defense shouldn't be the first unit off the board in your draft, don't let them linger for too long. Staring down the potential of a three-peat will make for a hungry defensive side of the ball, one looking to beat the expectations.

Hollywood Brown

A bona fide WR2 ever since coming into the league with Baltimore in 2019, Brown has had up and down seasons across his 5 seasons in the NFL. Unable to gain footing in an Arizona offense that didn't have consistent quarterback play, Brown was never able to reach the heights of his final season in Baltimore during his two seasons in Arizona.

Now in Kansas City, and paired with one of the most consistent quarterbacks in the NFL in Patrick Mahomes, Brown looks to have a career year in 2024. In Brown's best season, 2021, he caught 91 of Lamar Jackson's 246 completions for 1,008 yards. In Mahomes' worst full season as a starter, he completed 319 passes all the way back in 2019.

Brown should be seen as a fringe WR2 or flex position until we see more and can assess Brown's role in the offense. The volume from Mahomes will be there, but with only one football to pass around the Chiefs offense, Hollywood will have to make the most of it.

Xavier Worthy

The Chiefs' first-round pick this offseason, Xavier Worthy may be the rookie drafted into the best situation in the NFL. With a 4.21 second time in the 40-yard dash and gifted with great hands, Worthy will no doubt contribute to the Chiefs wide receiver room in 2024. A speedy deep threat, Worthy may be one of the rookies that explodes onto the scene this season.

If Worthy had posted his numbers from his final year at Texas in his first season with Kansas City, he would have posted a top-30 fantasy season at the wide receiver position. While this exercise is difficult to prove, as the collegiate level and the NFL are different worlds, Worthy has the potential to be a game-breaker. Especially with defensive coordinators hammering on Travis Kelce and Hollywood Brown, Worthy looks to gain quality looks from the get-go in KC.

Worthy doesn't warrant a high draft pick in your fantasy league over other more bona fide stars, but a late-round flier in hopes of stashing for your flex position would be more than "worthy" of your consideration (pun intended).

Louis Rees-Zammit

The Chiefs signed the Welsh rugby star in March with the hopes of striking gold through the NFL's International Player Pathways Program. Changing sports and countries is no small feat, and Rees-Zammit has maybe the biggest boom/bust potential of any player in the NFL this season.

Signed as a running back, Zammit will no doubt be used as a gadget player in Andy Reid's offense or Dave Toub's special teams, should he make the roster and remain the 3rd RB.

Thus far this offseason, Dave Toub said that while there is a learning curve, Rees-Zammit can do it all; whether he is kicking off, kicking field goals, or returning kicks. On the offensive side of the ball, it becomes a bit trickier relinquishing playing time to such an unknown prospect with no real background in the game. However, it goes without saying that Coach Reid could utilize LRZ in pre-snap motions, wildcat formations, in the backfield, or out wide to keep the defense guessing. The sky's the absolute limit for such a unique athlete as Rees-Zammit.

Whether this warrants a draft pick in fantasy remains to be seen, Rees-Zammit has to first make the 53-man roster, which is easier said than done. However, if he does, stashing him as a Taysom Hill "jack of all trades, master of none" type player may be the thing that makes or breaks your fantasy season.

Fantasy football, as any seasoned fan knows, is no exact science. Players get hurt, get traded, or just have a down year. Only time will tell if Kansas City will provide above-average fantasy production on the field in 2024.