Who Should I Start? Cooper Kupp or Rashee Rice

Saturday, September 12, 11:45 AM

Kansas City Chiefs wide receiver Rashee Rice was listed on the injury report with the knee issue he's been dealing with since last season, but he participated fully in practice all week and should be ready to roll. Rice will operate as the Chiefs WR1 again this season after dealing with legal and health issues this offseason. Rice has been nothing but effective for the Chiefs, producing WR1 numbers for fantasy, especially in PPR formats. The matchup this week will be tough given the strength of the Broncos defense, but Rice should be able to produce mainly as a slot receiver. The addition of Kenneth Walker should also help open things up for Rice in the middle of the field, since defenses will need to worry about stopping the run. Given the age of Travis Kelce, Rice should be the undisputed top target for Patrick Mahomes once again. These videos out of camp earlier this offseason were a bit concerning since Rice did not look fully healthy, but his ability to practice in full all week should give fantasy managers some optimism surrounding his health. Head coach Andy Reid also commented on Rice, stating that the wideout should be fine going into the season. Rice is ranked WR14 in our RotoBaller Week 1 PPR rankings, making him a high-end WR2 option against the Denver defense. Fantasy managers should feel comfortable putting Rice in their lineups, but keep in mind that his fantasy output could be diminished this week.