2025 Fantasy Football: Rashee Rice Has Breakout Potential As Patrick Mahomes' WR1

Rashee Rice is recovering from a torn ACL and could be the Chiefs' WR1 in 2025—if healthy and available.

Kansas City Chiefs wide receiver Rashee Rice (4) warms up against the Cincinnati Bengals prior to a game at GEHA Field at Arrowhead Stadium. | Denny Medley-Imagn Images

Rashee Rice was on the verge of a fantasy football breakout before a torn ACL abruptly ended his 2024 campaign. Now entering Year 3, he carries massive WR1 upside as Patrick Mahomes' top target—assuming he’s healthy and avoids any league discipline.

Rashee Rice, Kansas City Chiefs

In his rookie season, Rice led the Chiefs’ wide receivers in catches (79), receiving yards (938), touchdowns (7), and targets (102), ranking him 27th in fantasy points (213.80) at his position in PPR formats. Kansas City gave him only 4.6 targets per game over his first 10 starts (36/420/4). 

His role/opportunity was much higher for the remainder of the season (8.9 targets per game), leading to 69 catches for 780 yards and four touchdowns (17.15 FPPG). Rice was at his best from Week 12 to Week 19 (8/107/1, 8/64, 7/72/1, 9/91/1, 6/57, 5/127, and 8/130/1) while resting in Week 18. His catch rate (77.8) for the season was elite.

Three games into 2024, Rice posted three high-floor games (7/103, 5/75/1, and 12/111/1) while having 29 targets. He caught 82.8% of his chances, supporting his success in this area in his rookie campaign. His direction and the fading direction of Travis Kelce’s explosiveness put Rice on a path to lead Kansas City in receiving production.

Unfortunately, four snaps into Week 4, his season was lost to a torn ACL in his right knee that required surgery last October. When the regular season opens in 2025, he’ll have 10 months of recovery time, putting him on a path to be in the starting lineup in Week 1.

In March 2024, Rice made a poor driving decision that could lead to a potential suspension. His first court date is on June 23 (civil trial), which may influence a future decision by Roger Goodell. Most football pundits believe he’ll avoid a suspension this season due to Rice not facing any criminal charges at this time.

Rashee Rice Fantasy Football Outlook

Investing in any player coming off a significant injury tends to lead to below-par results in the fantasy market. On the positive side, Rice appears to be a value based on his mid-June wide receiver ranking (18th). The Chiefs would love him to be the workhorse catch option for Patrick Mahomes, giving him WR1 upside if Rice stays healthy and returns to full strength. 

Possible 100+ catches for 1,200 yards with double-digit scores, creating a buying opportunity if Rice has no negative injury news over the summer.