Week 8 Kansas City Chiefs Fantasy Football Preview: Start 'Em, Sit 'Em, Roll the Dice
Who should you start and sit when the Kansas City Chiefs take on the New York Jets in Week 8? The Chiefs, as is the norm, have some obvious starters on any fantasy roster, but there are a few names outside of your usual lineup that are worth looking at on Sunday.
Patrick Mahomes, Travis Kelce, Clyde Edwards-Helaire, Tyreek Hill and the Chiefs' D/ST should be in every 10-team league starting lineup, and they all have a strong case to make for any daily fantasy roster as well.
Tyreek Hill has only broken 80 yards receiving once this season, as opposing teams have focused on limiting the Chiefs' deep-passing game, but he's also hauled in one touchdown in five of the team's seven games, so Hill remains a clear WR1 play.
Patrick Mahomes and Travis Kelce are, at worst, top-two at their positions this week in the majority of rankings. The Chiefs are going to be able to throw the ball.
While Clyde Edwards-Helaire hasn't gotten as much work through the air as anticipated coming into 2020, he's still an easy play this week against the Jets. In all likelihood, the Chiefs will be up big late in this game and will pack it in with safer throws and on the ground. Of course, Edwards-Helaire isn't the only back who could get touches in this game. More on that later.
The Chiefs' defense has been better than you might think, especially through the air, and I don't see Frank Gore singlehandedly putting up 30 on the KC defense. Start the Chiefs D/ST, which accounted for four turnovers and not one but two touchdowns of their own last week, perhaps unless you already have the Tampa Bay Buccaneers' defense matching up against New York's other disastrous offense.
Oh, start kicker Harrison Butker too. He's struggled with some extra points as of late, but he's been automatic on field goals and should have plenty of chances to kick them on Sunday.
Pass on Demarcus Robinson and Mecole Hardman. I was high on Hardman as a late-round flier coming into 2020, but even in the absence of the injured Sammy Watkins, Hardman's role really hasn't grown. He's always a threat for a long pass or two, possibly ending in a touchdown, but for now, Hardman is an explosive player and a risky fantasy play.
Robinson saw the largest role increase without Watkins on the field against the Buffalo Bills, but after catching five passes for 69 yards in that game, he caught one for four yards against the Denver Broncos. The game at Denver was an odd one for the Chiefs' offense, so Robinson could bounce back against New York, but it's hard to gamble on the Chiefs' fourth, fifth, maybe even sixth options.
Here's the dice-roll: I'm buying the Le'Veon Bell revenge game, at least a little bit. Bell is returning to New York after being released by the Jets earlier this month. In Bell's debut with the Chiefs last week, he took 17 snaps, 33% of the offense's work, while Edwards-Helaire took 27 (53%) with at least one snap including both backs on the field together.
If the Chiefs are, indeed, up by enough to pack in their gameplan and grind out the game in the second half, I could absolutely see Andy Reid giving Edwards-Helaire a break while giving Bell a shot at his former team. Even in a tighter game, Bell's comfort in the offense should continue to grow as he plays the majority of Kansas City's third-down snaps, providing opportunity there as well. It's no lock, but a good gamble down the running back depth chart in Week 8.
