The Kansas City Chiefs represented the most talented 2-14 team in the history of the National Football League this past season. They had Pro Bowl performers on both sides of the ball, but one constant continued to hold them back; Matt Cassel and Brady Quinn (okay two).
As it is, new head coach Andy Reid set forth to improve the roster by adding a few solid pieces on each side of the ball. Alex Smith comes in and represents consistency from the quarterback position. Kansas City then provided Smith with a franchise bookend in the form of No. 1 overall pick Eric Fisher, who will play right tackle early in his career with Branden Albert still on the roster.
Kansas City also added veteran skill-position players in the form of tight end Anthony Fasano and wide receiver Donnie Avery, who should help out in the passing game.
Time to preview Kansas City's 2013 season from a fantasy football perspective.
Fantasy Projections
Alex Smith, Quarterback
Here at eDraft, we are much higher on Smith as a fantasy option than other outlets. He ranked between Andy Dalton and Ben Roethlisberger in terms of fantasy points in his last full season as a starter with the San Francisco 49ers. That made him a top-tier QB2 option in standard 12-team leagues. Those numbers improved this past season, as Smith was the 11th-ranked fantasy quarterback when he went down with a concussion against the St. Louis Rams in October.
Some will point to great talent around Smith in San Francisco, but that isn't necessarily true. Michael Crabtree didn't turn into a true No. 1 wide receiver until Colin Kaepernick took over as the starter. Make of that what you will, but it wasn't like Smith had the 2007 New England Patriots' supporting cast around him.
Smith now joins a Kansas City team with one of the better offensive lines in the AFC, an elite running back in Jamaal Charles, myriad talented tight ends and a physically imposing wide receiver in the form of Dwayne Bowe. Not only does Smith have the talent around him to succeed, he has the offensive system under new head coach Andy Reid to excel in 2013. Expect a continued expansion of solid play from the veteran.
Projected Statistics: 3,750 passing yards, 23 touchdowns and eight interceptions
Jamaal Charles, Running Back
Charles tallied the eighth-most fantasy points among running backs this past season. He put up over 15 fantasy points five different times and put up a minium of 80 rushing yards in six of his final eight games. Needless to say, Charles should be a solid RB1 option in standard leagues this year. He won't be a huge threat in PPR leagues with Smith under center. Even with substandard quarterbacks, who looked for checkdowns last year, Charles recorded only 35 receptions.
In total, the veteran averaged less than 18 rush attempts per game last season. This should be a bit alarming considering that Andy Reid-led offenses seem to limit the fantasy value of a running back. That being said, Reid has to fully understand that Smith is only a successful quarterback with a solid running game behind him. I expect Charles to get between four or five more rush attempts per game in 2013. This will only help his fantasy value.
Projected Statistics: 1,650 rushing yards, 30 receptions, 250 yards, 1,900 total yards and seven touchdowns
Dwayne Bowe, Wide Receiver
Bowe's fantasy performance lacked a great deal this past season. A lot of that had to do with being forced to catch balls from Cassel and Quinn, but the fact that he ranked 47th among wide receivers in fantasy points has to be alarming. All said, Bowe recorded a four-year low 801 yards and three touchdowns. To put it into perspective, Bowe ranked behind the likes of Brandon Gibson and Nate Washington in fantasy production.
With more stability at the quarterback position and a better game plan on offense, Bowe could be a real steal this upcoming season. It's important to remember that he put up a league-high 15 touchdown catches back in 2010. That same season saw Bowe rank second to Brandon Lloyd, right above Roddy White, in fantasy points among wide receivers. Don't expect that same type of performance, but he is much better than the numbers we saw in 2012.
Projected Statistics: 73 receptions, 1,150 yards and nine touchdowns
Dexter McCluster, Wide Receiver/Running Back
I wrote an article earlier this month that focused on how much Kansas City misused McCluster in 2012. His touches went down a great deal, and with it so did his production. McCluster is the perfect FLEX option in standard or PPR leagues, if used correctly. He is electric with the ball in his hands and should be able to produce at a relatively high level if Kansas City actually uses him correctly. I fully expect Andy Reid and Co. to do just that. Remember, McCluster put up nearly 900 total yards when he actually touched the ball in 2011.
Projected Statistics: 315 rush yards, 50 receptions, 565 yards and four touchdowns
Travis Kelce, Tight End
If it wasn't for an off-field issue that forced Kelce to miss an entire season at Cincinnati, he'd likely have been the second tight end off the board in the 2013 NFL draft behind Tyler Eifert. As it is, the talented youngster fell to Kansas City in the third round. Andy Reid and Co. probably couldn't have been happier when that happened back in April.
Kelce will provide Smith the necessary consistency from the tight end position that the veteran quarterback relies on. While he isn't near the same level in terms of an all-around tight end as Vernon Davis, he'll give Smith that safety valve.
Kansas City does have Anthony Fasano and Tony Moeaki on the roster at tight end, but neither provides it with the pure play-making ability that Kelce does. I am expecting enough targets here for Kelce to make an impact as an under-the-radar TE2 option. His ceiling, however, is bottom of the line TE1 option as a rookie.
Projected Statistics: 55 receptions, 625 yards and five touchdowns