The Kansas City Chiefs will play the Los Angeles Chargers in São Paulo, Brazil, in Week 1. Here’s the latest fantasy football news and advice to help you with your lineups this week and moving forward, specifically regarding WR Xavier Worthy.
Is Xavier Worthy Playing in Week 1?
Worthy is not listed on the injury report this week, so barring any setbacks, he will play.
We’ll continue to monitor the Chiefs’ injury report leading up to kickoff for any changes. You can also visit and bookmark our Fantasy News Tracker for the latest updates.
Should You Start or Sit Xavier Worthy in Week 1?
You drafted Worthy as a starter this summer and potentially paid a premium later.
You like him. You’re buying what you saw late in his rookie season, and I’m not here to talk you off of your optimism.
Not this week at least: he’s a top-24 receiver for me and should be started across the board.
That said, the market was well ahead of me all offseason, and with Rashee Rice now slated to be on the field for the second half of the fantasy season, and his suspension being levied for the first six weeks, I’m going to continue to be a wet blanket.
- Stat 1: Ranked between Justin Jefferson and Mike Evans
- Stat 2: Ranked between Parker Washington and the now-retired Mike Williams
Given his profile coming out of Texas, it wouldn’t have shocked you if I told you 12 months ago that Worthy ranked among the best in one stat and the worst in another.
But would I present those figures in that fashion if the stats fit your prior assumptions?
The first stat is fantasy points per game scored on short passes (under 10 air yards), while the second is fantasy points scored on deep passes (15+ air yards).
Yes, you read that right. I didn’t flip the stats. Worthy, with Rice sidelined plenty, was effective on short passes. Andy Reid weaponized his speed horizontally in creative ways, which helped him approach 100 targets and score six times as a rookie.
It was great to see. He earned 31 targets over the final three weeks of the fantasy season and turned 21 targets into 19 catches, 287 yards, and three touchdowns during the playoff run. There certainly is something here, but I’d caution against overrating his 2024 box score regarding 2025 decision-making with Rice on the field.
Those short looks were Worthy’s to lose last year, but that’s unlikely to be the case in the short term. The NFL has made it clear that they are all-in on forcing this Chiefs offense to kill them with paper cuts, thus creating a decline in lay-up targets, which could result in a severe fantasy falloff.
Worthy averaged 27 receiving yards per game in Weeks 1-3 with Rice, a sample too small to extrapolate meaningfully, but a cautionary number at the very least. In this spot against what I project to be a slow-moving offense and a stout defense that saw him twice last season, I’m not overly confident that Worthy gives you the type of day that his ADP suggests you’re expecting. If you drafted well, you might have a flex option I prefer to a player you took in the fifth round.
This is a weekly game, don’t forget that. Worthy will have his moments, and maybe he can complement Rice, but we know where Rice wins and how defenses approach the Patrick Mahomes puzzle.
Are you looking for start/sit advice for other players in your lineup? Read our Week 1 Fantasy Start-Sit Advice Cheat Sheet for every fantasy-relevant player in every game.
Xavier Worthy’s Fantasy Points Projection in Week 1
Worthy is projected to score 14.5 points in PPR formats. This includes 4.6 receptions for 49.3 yards and 0.5 touchdowns.
Check out the free PFSN Fantasy Start-Sit Optimizer for the latest projections and advice for your lineups this week.
Week 1 Weather Impact: Chiefs at Chargers
The weather forecast for the Chiefs vs. Chargers matchup in São Paulo calls for cloudy conditions and a kickoff temperature of 60 degrees Fahrenheit. Winds are forecasted to blow southeast at 9 MPH with an 8% chance of rain. These are good conditions for fantasy football and will have minimal impact on the game.
