The hits just seem to keep on coming for the second-year receiver, who is now waist deep in legal trouble at the halfway point of the offseason. Our previous advice still stands with his price tag likely coming down even lower than it did after the street racing incident, but understand that buying low now means assuming significant risk in the short term. The drama has officially dashed any momentum that Rice had built up with Mahomes going into his sophomore campaign, and a smooth transition back into action – whenever that happens – likely isn’t in the cards.
Fantasy managers should operate moving forward with the assumption that Rice will receive some form of punishment from the league, and likely a significant one at that. In the meantime, Rice’s status being up in the air opens the door for the two latest additions to the Chiefs’ WR room to establish themselves in Kansas City’s passing attack. Xavier Worthy and Marquise Brown will still need to compete with Travis Kelce for targets, but both will likely see substantial increases in their ADPs with Rice staring down a suspension.