As expected, the Chiefs offense regressed last season— they were only the fifth best in the NFL with Patrick Mahomes missing most of three games. Then they went out and added Clyde Edwards-Helaire with a first-round pick in the NFL Draft, giving them another potential elite playmaker for Andy Reid to play with. And, with Damien Williams opting out as a result of the COVID-19 epidemic, Edwards-Helaire has a chance to be one of the elite backs in Fantasy as a rookie. 

2019 Review

Record: 12 - 4 (5)
PPG: 28.2 (5)
YPG: 379.2 (6)
Pass YPG: 281.1 (5)
Rush YPG: 98.1 (23)
PAPG: 36.0 (15)
RAPG: 23.4 (27)

2019 Fantasy finishes

QB: Patrick Mahomes QB5
RB: Damien Williams RB37, LeSean McCoy RB40
WR: Tyreek Hill WR32, Sammy Watkins WR49
TE: Travis Kelce TE1

Number to know: 114

That's how many points the Chiefs fell off from 2018's league-leading mark. It might sound like a lot, but it's pretty comparable to what happened with the Broncos coming off their historic 2013; they only fell from first in scoring to second, but it was a 124-point drop off. You should always bet against historically great offenses sustaining that pace from one year to the next, however there are also reasons to think the Chiefs will be better in 2020 than 2019. For one, you hope Patrick Mahomes doesn't miss two games and most of another. The more important reason, however, might be the addition of first-round running back Clyde Edwards-Helaire and the continued development of Mecole Hardman. The Chiefs should be the odds-on favorite to be the No. 1 offense in 2020; if you could guarantee that Hardman or Edwards-Helaire becomes a consistent contributor, I might take them over the field. 

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2020 Offseason

Draft Picks 

1. (32) Clyde Edwards-Helaire, RB
2. (63) Willie Gay Jr., LB
3. (96) Lucas Niang, OT
4. (138) L'Jarius Sneed, S
5. (177) Michael Danna, DE
7. (237) Thakarius Keyes, CB

Additions

OL Mike Remmer

Key Departures

DB Kendall Fuller, LeSean McCoy, DL Emmanuel Ogbah

Available Opportunity 

118 carries, 41 RB targets, 2 WR targets, 15 TE targets 

Rankings and Projections

Player
Jamey Eisenberg
Dave Richard
Heath Cummings
Patrick MahomesQB1QB1QB1
Clyde Edwards-HelaireRB6RB6RB8
Tyreek HillWR4WR4WR4
Mecole HardmanN/AN/AWR58
Travis KelceTE1TE1TE1
Chiefs DSTDST7DST10DST18

Heath Cummings' projections
QBPatrick Mahomes4,812 YD, 35 TD, 12 INT; 223 Rush YD, 2 TD
RBClyde Edwards-Helaire875 YD, 9 TD; 58 REC, 441 YD, 4 TD
RBDwayne Washington452 YD, 4 TD; 14 REC, 106 YD, 1 TD
WRTyreek Hill122 TAR, 80 REC, 1,229 YD, 8 TD
WRSammy Watkins75 TAR, 44 REC, 603 YD, 5 TD
WRMecole Hardman75 TAR, 45 REC, 724 YD, 5 TD
TETravis Kelce139 TAR, 97 REC, 1,247 YD, 7 TD

Biggest Question

Just how good can Edwards-Helaire be?

The Chiefs made Edwards-Helaire the first back off the board in Round 1 of the draft, and his pass-catching ability makes him a perfect fit for their offense. Andy Reid reportedly sees him as a better version of Brian Westbrook, and Edwards-Helaire could be a Fantasy force right out of the gate. With Damien Williams out of the picture, CEH figures to be the No. 1 back from the word go, and an elite Fantasy option. But don't forget about Dwayne Washington, a fine pass catcher in his own right who was a must-start option when he got the chance with the Raiders last season. 

One sleeper, one breakout and one bust

Sleeper
Mecole Hardman WR
KC Kansas City • #17
Age: 26 • Experience: 6 yrs.

2019 Stats

REC

26

TAR

41

REYDS

538

TD

6

FPTS/G

7

The battle to be the No. 2 wide receiver in Kansas City will be a key one to watch, as our Ben Gretch noted, because there's huge potential for Fantasy as a downfield threat in this offense. Hardman didn't get many opportunities as a rookie, but he came exactly as advertised, providing a jolt of Tyreek Hill-ian energy every time he touched the ball. There is an unfair amount of speed on this offense, and if Hardman gets even 90 targets, he may just be a must-start Fantasy option.  

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Breakout
Clyde Edwards-Helaire RB
KC Kansas City • #25
Age: 25 • Experience: 5 yrs.

Edwards-Helaire had settled in as a second- or even third-round pick in some drafts in July, and if you drafted early and snagged him, congratulations; you may have just won your league. Maybe Washington takes on a bigger role than expected, but if you want to know what the upside here is, just remember how productive Kareem Hunt was in this offense as a rookie. Andy Reid is like a cheat code for Fantasy scoring, and if Edwards-Helaire is the unquestioned starter like we expect, there's no real ceiling on how good he can be, given his three-down skill set.  

Bust pick — Uh ... no

Well, it was Edwards-Helaire, before this. Now, it's all about nit-picking with a slew of elite options. Maybe the undersized Edwards-Helaire isn't ready for a true No. 1 workload? Maybe Travis Kelce starts to slow down in his 30s? Maybe Tyreek Hill's injuries crop up again? Maybe Patrick Mahomes is only the fourth-best quarterback. There's downside for every player, but given the type of talents we're talking about in this system, it's hard to see how things go sideways. I'm not going to put my name down for anyone busting here; I'm not that much of a risk taker. 

Fantasy Previews 
AFC East: Bills | Jets | Patriots | Dolphins 
NFC East: Giants | Cowboys | Eagles | Redskins 
AFC South: Colts | Texans | Jaguars | Titans 
NFC South: Panthers | Bucs |  Falcons | Saints 
AFC North: RavensSteelersBrownsBengals 
NFC North: PackersVikingsBearsLions 
AFC West: ChiefsBroncosRaidersChargers 
NFC West: Seahawks49ersRamsCardinals

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So what Fantasy football sleepers should you snatch in your draft? And which WR1 candidate can you wait on until late? Visit SportsLine now to get cheat sheets from the model that was all over Derrick Henry's huge season, and find out.