The Kansas City Chiefs are officially out of the playoffs for just the second time in the Andy Reid era, the first postseason since 2014 that won’t feature the franchise. The team’s 2025 campaign has been riddled with injury, a trend that persists heading into Week 17.
In the receiving corps, Rashee Rice is slated to join a crowded list of banged-up Chiefs entering Week 17. Kansas City is slated to take on the Denver Broncos for a Christmas Day matchup at home, but will be without its star wideout, who missed the team’s Week 16 clash against the Tennessee Titans after sustaining a concussion. The team placed the third-year wideout on Injured Reserve on Wednesday, sidelining Rice for the remainder of the season.
Rice’s season comes to a close after eight games, previously missing the first six games of the season due to suspension. He hauled in 53 of his 78 targets for 571 receiving yards and five touchdowns, adding a sixth score on the ground. Despite a shortened year, Rice pieced together encouraging game-to-game production, leading the team in receiving in three of his eight appearances.
His consistency translated to fantasy football, where he averaged 18.8 points per week among PPR leagues, which ranks fifth among all wideouts entering Week 17. His loss will be an immense loss for fantasy lineups entering championship week, who will rely on outside help without Rice’s WR1 production. Here’s how his absence will affect the remainder of the Chiefs’ offense on Christmas.
Depleted Chiefs Offense Leaves Minimal Hope For Sufficient Fantasy Production In Championship Week
Nov 27, 2025; Arlington, Texas, USA; Kansas City Chiefs wide receiver Rashee Rice (4) and Kansas City Chiefs quarterback Patrick Mahomes (15) celebrate after a play against the Dallas Cowboys during the first quarter at AT&T Stadium. | Kevin Jairaj-Imagn Images
Kansas City’s offense leaves little room for optimism for fantasy managers in Week 17. Without the likes of Patrick Mahomes, along with Rice, fellow wideout Tyquan Thornton and backup quarterback Gardner Minshew. Practice squad signal-caller Chris Oladokun is slated to make his first NFL start against the Denver Broncos on Christmas, a tough test for the former seventh-round pick.
Oladokun and an injury-riddled Chiefs offense will host one of the top defenses in the NFL, which ranks fifth in the league in points allowed and fourth in yards allowed. Without its top receiver and two rostered quarterbacks, it’s tough to project fantasy success among the offensive group.
Travis Kelce remains a quality start candidate, though without Mahomes or Minshew, it’s tough to project a high fantasy ceiling against the 10th-ranked pass defense in the league. Isaiah Pacheco and Kareem Hunt will split carries in a rushing attack that projects to see plenty of volume with Oladokun under center.
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