Fantasy Football: Will Xavier Worthy Have a Breakout Rookie Season for the Chiefs?

Drafting rookie wide receivers is a preferable pastime for fantasy football managers. We can usually roster these freshmen at a low cost while also holding out hope for a breakout campaign.

The likes of Puka Nacua (WR4), Garrett Wilson (WR18), Ja'Marr Chase (WR5), Jaylen Waddle (WR16), Justin Jefferson (WR6), and CeeDee Lamb (WR20) are just some of the recent fresh faces to dominate in their rookie season.

All finished their first year in the top 20 of half-PPR scoring at the position and helped carry fantasy football teams to the top.

Marvin Harrison Jr., Malik Nabers, and Rome Odunze are occupying much of the rookie conversation for the upcoming season.

But how about a first-round pick from the 2024 NFL draft class who managed a record-breaking 4.21-second 40-yard dash and will now be paired with Patrick Mahomes?

Xavier Worthy carries plenty of upside and could make an immediate impact for the Kansas City Chiefs and fantasy managers alike.

Let's dive into Worthy's outlook for the upcoming season and figure out where he should be on your draft board.

Xavier Worthy Fantasy Football Outlook

Background on Worthy

The former Texas Longhorns receiver finished his three-year collegiate career with 2,755 yards and 26 touchdowns.

Worthy broke the Texas record for most receiving yards (987) and touchdowns (12) in a single season and receiving yards in a game (261) by a freshman.

At the combine, his athleticism score ranked first while his total score ranked third among all wide receivers in the class (via NextGen Stats).

The 40-yard dash record-holder went on to be selected by the Chiefs with the 28th overall pick in the draft.

As of this writing, Worthy currently holds a 43.7 average draft position (ADP) at wide receiver and is being selected with pick 92 (via FantasyPros' consensus ADP data).

Will Worthy meet, exceed, or fail to reach these moderate expectations? Let's explore how his first year could go in Kansas City.

The Fantasy Landscape in Kansas City

Mahomes is a top signal-caller at juicing his receivers for fantasy production. He also happens to be one of the main QBs due for positive touchdown regression this season, per FanDuel Research's Brandon Gdula.

We should be in for a very productive season from the Chiefs offense, but they've also got some more cooks in the kitchen this go-around.

Marquise Brown inked a one-year, $11 million contract with Kansas City, immediately placing him atop the team's depth chart.

Travis Kelce and last season's breakout rookie Rashee Rice will also return, leaving Mahomes with an array of threats at his disposal.

However, a depth-heavy team shouldn't impede Worthy's production too much.

For starters, Kelce will be operating on fewer snaps this season. While he's still a top target in fantasy drafts, the veteran will not be receiving a lion's share of targets in the regular season.

Rice, meanwhile, has a potential suspension inbound. According to Adam Schefter, the Chiefs "are bracing for a multi-game suspension" for Rice.

With Rice potentially out at the start of the year, Worthy could take on an intriguing workload from the get-go and ride that momentum throughout the regular season.

Kelce, Brown, and Rice figure to combine for a dominating workload, but Mahomes can keep multiple players fantasy-relevant, including Worthy.

FanDuel Research's Jim Sannes has Worthy stamped as an undervalued receiver based on win totals. With Mahomes and a high-producing offense on his side, Worthy is set up to make a splash in his rookie bid.

Xavier Worthy Fantasy Football Projection

numberFire's season-long NFL projections forecast Worthy to haul in 57.32 receptions for 866.40 yards and 5.59 touchdowns via 96.18 targets this season.

These projections assume that all players will participate in a full 17-game season and have Worthy finishing the year as WR38.

As mentioned, he owns a 43.7 ADP at the position and an overall ADP of 92.

numberFire has him outdoing Jordan Addison, Christian Watson, Diontae Johnson, and Ladd McConkey, all of whom are currently being drafted ahead of Worthy.

They also have him finishing ahead of Rice, who is projected for WR42 despite a 37.3 ADP at wide receiver at pick 74, and that's not even accounting for a potential suspension.

While there is always a fair dose of unknown when it comes to rookies, the friendly price on Worthy outweighs the risk. He's a value off the board at his ADP, and if you think Mahomes can utilize Worthy's athleticism to a high degree, then we could see Worthy come out on top as the breakout fantasy football rookie this season.

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The above author is a FanDuel employee and is not eligible to compete in public daily fantasy contests or place sports betting wagers on FanDuel. The advice provided by the author does not necessarily represent the views of FanDuel. Taking the author's advice will not guarantee a successful outcome. You should use your own judgment when participating in daily fantasy contests or placing sports wagers.