The early rounds of the 2025 fantasy football drafts feature several wide receivers who have demonstrated the ability to dominate fantasy scoring, thanks to high-volume workloads and big plays. Hitting on the right players is crucial to securing a fantasy championship.
A difficult decision faced by fantasy managers in 2025 will be between Kansas City Chiefs teammates Rashee Rice and Xavier Worthy. Who is the better draft pick for fantasy this coming season?
Rashee Rice, WR, Kansas City Chiefs
ADP: 22.0, WR12
Rice has been a weapon in the Kansas City passing attack since the Chiefs drafted him in the second round of the 2023 NFL Draft. He made an immediate impact in his rookie season, finishing second on the team behind Travis Kelce in targets (102), receptions (79), and receiving yards (938) while leading the team in touchdowns (7).
Rice finished his first season as the WR29 in PPR points per game (13.3). He had four top-15 finishes in his final six games of the regular season, including two weeks with 24.0+ fantasy points.
Rice was off to an even better start in his second season. He was the WR3 in fantasy points per game (21.6) over the first three weeks of the regular season. During that stretch, he never had fewer than 17.0 fantasy points per game.
Every Rashee Rice reception from 2024 👇 https://t.co/drgxQQNXC6 pic.twitter.com/zhjo5COapI
— Jacob Gibbs (@jagibbs_23) June 12, 2025
Unfortunately, Rice suffered a season-ending LCL injury in the team’s fourth game after trying to make a tackle on a Patrick Mahomes interception.
Thankfully, Rice is poised to head into his third season healthy. Early minicamp clips show him moving extremely well without a knee brace and looking back to form. On the surface, there is no reason to believe the injury will limit him heading into 2025.
Of course, there is also the ongoing legal issue from the 2024 offseason. Rice was speeding on the highway and caused a massive accident, where bystanders filmed him leaving the scene. The NFL has made it clear it will not suspend Rice until the results of that case become final. At this point, there is no indication that we are moving any closer to a court date.
Rice looks healthy, and he is seemingly set to avoid a suspension. Over his last nine games (between 2023 and 2024), Rice has averaged 9.4 targets, 7.4 receptions, and 89.6 receiving yards per game. There is little reason to believe he won’t pick up where he left off next season.
Xavier Worthy, WR, Kansas City Chiefs
ADP: 38.0, WR21
The Chiefs had been searching for a speed threat to open up their offense ever since trading away Tyreek Hill. They found the perfect answer in the 2024 NFL Draft by drafting Worthy out of Texas.
Worthy set the Combine record for the fastest 40-yard dash, running a 4.21 time at 5-foot-11 and 165 pounds. He also proved in college he was more than just a deep threat, finishing his three-year career with the Longhorns with 197 receptions for 2,755 yards and 26 touchdowns in 39 games. Worthy was 10th among all receivers in yards after catch per reception (6.9).
It didn’t take long for him to show that his speed would translate to the NFL. In his debut, the rookie caught two passes for 47 yards and a touchdown while adding one carry for 21 yards and a rushing score.
Worthy was much more inconsistent for the rest of the regular season, but found his footing late in the regular season. Over his final five games, he caught 31 of 44 passes for 285 yards and two touchdowns. He was the WR21 in PPR scoring during that stretch, averaging 16.6 fantasy points per game.
rewatching xavier worthy for a youtube video, and these downfield misses remain extremely painful. (but he’s good and so it Mahomes. they hit in 2025.) pic.twitter.com/1lqXbPrizz
— Hayden Winks (@HaydenWinks) May 19, 2025
What caught fantasy managers’ attention was Worthy’s performance during the Chiefs’ Super Bowl run. In three playoff games, Worthy caught 19 of 21 passes for 287 yards and three touchdowns. He caught all eight of his passes in the Super Bowl for 157 yards and two touchdowns (a lot of that production came in garbage time).
Of course, we can’t bring up Worthy’s success as a rookie without mentioning that he benefited greatly from Hollywood Brown and Rice missing almost the entire 2024 season. Their absence allowed him to earn a higher percentage of targets than he likely would have if they were healthy. Both receivers will return to Kansas City in 2025.
That said, there are plenty of organic ways for Worthy to grow while sharing the field with Brown and Rice. Worthy did an excellent job earning targets all over the field, but he has the kind of speed that should make him the best deep threat in football. However, he and Mahomes never established a solid deep connection in his rookie season.
Worthy caught just three of his 17 passes that traveled 20+ yards in 2024 (17.6%). If he and Mahomes can figure out the timing on the deep ball, then the former could be one of the best fantasy receivers in the NFL as soon as next season.
Final Verdict on Rice vs. Worthy
Both Rice and Worthy are interesting picks at their current ADP. However, the player to prioritize in 2025 is Rice. As of now, he appears completely healthy and is unlikely to face a suspension during the 2025-2026 NFL season. He has proven to be a reliable target in the middle of the field, capable of making big plays after the catch.
Rice and Worthy played three games together in 2025. During that time, Rice was the superior target earner (29 targets) and functioned as the centerpiece of the offense. Worthy (11 targets and five rushing attempts) was utilized more as a vertical threat and gadget player during that time.
Of course, Worthy earned a much bigger role as the season went on, so that limited sample size isn’t the most relevant. But it does show us a potential outcome for how the receiver room will earn targets from Mahomes.
In 2025, Rice can finish as the WR1 in fantasy if he is healthy due to his consistently high target share. Worthy will more than likely be a boom-or-bust player that is safer as a WR3 or Flex play given the volatility of his targets.