The Kansas City Chiefs prepare for their Week 16 road matchup against the Tennessee Titans following their devastating season-ending loss to the Los Angeles Chargers. Rashee Rice popped up on the injury report Wednesday and did not practice. Will fantasy football managers have the sophomore wide receiver available this week?
Rashee Rice Injury Update
Rice took several significant hits while attempting to catch passes from quarterback Patrick Mahomes during Sunday’s contest. The third-year receiver did not leave the game and showed no signs of a concussion during the team’s season-ending loss. He played 52 of the Chiefs’ 61 offensive snaps in the defeat.​
However, Rice reported concussion symptoms on Monday. Head coach Andy Reid revealed on Wednesday that Rice has entered the concussion protocol and will not take part in practice. This news came as somewhat of a surprise since there was no indication Rice was dealing with a concussion during the game.​
Rice’s availability for Week 16 is now in serious doubt, particularly with his current inability to participate in practice at the beginning of the week. Concussion protocol requires players to pass through a five-step process before receiving medical clearance to return to action. Players must be symptom-free and gradually increase their activity level before being cleared for game action.​
The Chiefs were eliminated from playoff contention last week when they fell to the Chargers. The loss ended Kansas City’s streak of 10 straight playoff berths, which was the second-longest postseason run in NFL history. Gone with the postseason streak is the Chiefs’ run of seven consecutive appearances in the AFC Championship Game.​
Adding to the devastation, Patrick Mahomes tore his ACL in the final moments of Sunday’s loss. The three-time Super Bowl winner underwent successful surgery Monday in Dallas to repair the tear in his left ACL. Mahomes will miss the team’s final three games and faces an uncertain timeline for the start of the 2026 season.​
Travis Kelce sure sounds like he is retiring after this season. The veteran tight end has hinted at stepping away from the game in recent interviews. It is hard to imagine anyone on this team is motivated over these final three weeks.​
There is absolutely no chance Rice plays this week and in all likelihood, he will not play again this season. There is no reason for him to. The Chiefs have nothing to play for with their playoff hopes extinguished and their franchise quarterback sidelined for the remainder of the season.
Rice’s Fantasy Outlook
With Rice out and Mahomes sidelined, the Chiefs offense becomes extremely difficult to project for fantasy purposes. Gardner Minshew will serve as the starting quarterback for the final three weeks of the season. Minshew came on in the game’s final drive in relief of Mahomes and threw an interception to seal the three-point loss.​
Perhaps Xavier Worthy can finally post a WR1 week against a Titans defense allowing the ninth-most schedule-adjusted fantasy points per game to wide receivers. However, with Minshew under center, the Chiefs will probably just go through the motions this week. Worthy is a viable WR3.​
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Kelce is still a mid-TE1 despite the quarterback change and lack of motivation. The veteran tight end remains one of the most reliable fantasy options at the position regardless of who is throwing him the ball.
Kareem Hunt is a touchdown or bust RB2. The veteran running back will continue to handle the bulk of the carries, but the offense’s overall ineffectiveness limits his ceiling significantly. No one else on this team is startable.​
