Chiefs' Rashee Rice, Skyy Moore, Kadarius Toney Fantasy Outlook After Loss to Lions

The Kansas City Chiefs offense was on full display for the first time in 2023 Thursday.

The defending champions fell 21-20 to the Detroit Lions, and the absence of tight end Travis Kelce was clearly felt.

Quarterback Patrick Mahomes spread the ball around, which bodes decently for him in terms of fantasy football but not necessarily his receivers.

Marquez Valdes-Scantling led all Chiefs receivers with 48 yards, and Rashee Rice and Blake Bell hauled in touchdowns.

Rice, Kadarius Toney and Skyy Moore are weapons that the Chiefs expect to rely on this season, but the success of the three was not as expected.

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Rashee Rice

Rice was one of Mahomes' better weapons in the opener, as he caught a touchdown pass. He finished with three catches for 29 yards and the score but was less effective in the rushing game as he had one carry for minus-three yards.

This comes on a light night for the Chiefs offense, so being in the receiving mix is a solid sign for his production. He is definitely a strong add candidate as a more productive day from the offense should produce much better statistics. He is clearly in Mahomes' mix, but he is not necessarily one of his main targets.

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Kadarius Toney

Toney has been called the team's "clear-cut No. 1 receiver," but that did not show Thursday night. He had one catch for just a single yard in the aerial attack and had one rush for minus-one yard in the ground game.

This performance was mocked on social media, but it is important to note that he was missing for a large portion of training camp. He is inching toward drop territory, but the injury history should make fantasy owners cut him some slack.

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Skyy Moore

Toney at least made an impact in the passing game. Moore was a statistical no-show in that facet, making zero catches on three targets. He did have slightly more success in the ground game, having one rush for four yards, but his impression on the game was limited.

This lowlight performance did not come with limited reps either, as Nathan Jahnke of Pro Football Focus reported that he was only one of two skill position players on the Chiefs without a reception, and Moore had significantly more snaps than his companion.

The playing time with no production is really concerning and is not a change from 2022. Moore does not appear to be in Mahomes' mix, even with him spreading things around, so the receiver can be considered a drop candidate.

The output from the Chiefs offense was lackluster compared to what it should do. The team had 226 yards in the passing attack and was held to just 62 offensive plays. Kansas City only held possession for 27:22 and was not reminiscent of the team that led the league in offense a season ago.

Not having Kelce (knee) in the lineup was a clear detriment, but Week 1 results don't mean everything. Rice showcased some ability, but the performances from Moore and Toney are concerning to say the least.