Breaking: Kansas City Chiefs' Rashee Rice Disciplinary Hearing Set For Sept. 30
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ESPN's Adam Schefter has reported that Kansas City Chiefs wide receiver Rashee Rice is expected to have his disciplinary hearing with NFL commissioner Roger Goodell on Sept. 30, after Week 4 of the NFL season.
Rice is facing suspension because of his role in a multi-car crash in Dallas during the 2024 offseason. Last month, he was sentenced to 30 days in jail and five years' probation.
The Sept. 30 timeline means that the Chiefs will have Rice for the first four games of the season, as Rice won't be suspended until then. The Chiefs will play the Los Angeles Chargers in Brazil, host the Philadelphia Eagles, visit the New York Giants and host the Baltimore Ravens before the hearing.
How Long Will Rice Be Suspended For?
Kansas City is expecting the wide receiver to be suspended anywhere from four to six games. The baseline for violating the NFL's personal conduct policy is a six-game suspension, but a suspension of as many as eight games is a realistic possibility.
Rice's suspension will begin immediately once the NFL determines the length. At a minimum, it seems that Rice will miss the Chiefs' games against the Jacksonville Jaguars, Detroit Lions, Las Vegas Raiders and Washington Commanders.
A six-game suspension would also have him miss road visits to the Buffalo Bills and the Denver Broncos. Should he get the full eight-game suspension, he'd miss the Chiefs' home date with the Indianapolis Colts and the Thanksgiving Day visit to the Dallas Cowboys.
How Does Rice's Fantasy Value Change?
In guillotine leagues, Rice becomes far more valuable. Now that he will play in the first four weeks of the season, guillotine owners can count on Rice as Patrick Mahomes' most trusted target and score a replacement from one of the four eliminated teams once he's suspended.
In standard and PPR leagues, Rice's value doesn't increase as much, but it still increases. Fantasy owners in traditional leagues can now target Rice with the expectation that they'll pick up a breakout receiver who shows up in the first four weeks. The biggest question for these owners is whether to drop Rice entirely or burn a roster spot waiting for his return.
That question will become clearer once we know how long Rice's suspension will be. The shorter it is, the more value exists in keeping him and waiting for a return.
How Do Kansas City's Other Receivers See Their Value Change?
Four weeks of Rice gives other wide receivers time to get up to speed. The Chiefs seem to be high on rookie wide receiver Jalen Royals, and the fact that Kansas City won't need him in September lets him get more comfortable with the offense. If Rice misses six games or more, Royals could be a great value add, especially if Hollywood Brown struggles with injury.
Xavier Worthy's price is likely too high as it is, and this won't help matters. Worthy likely becomes the WR1 in Kansas City with Rice suspended, but with an ADP of 60, owners are already being asked to pay a premium. If Rice gets a full eight games, Worthy might justify his price tag. If it's closer to four games, he's unlikely to do so.
Dan Angell has covered some of the biggest sporting events in the country, including the NCAA Tournament, the Maui Invitational and the Big Ten championship. He loves looking for overlooked angles to sports and using that to find betting edges and unique takes on news around the games. Outside of writing, he enjoys traveling to different stadiums to experience the atmosphere and the restaurants of each location.