NFL Fantasy Football Matchup Cheat Sheet: Kansas City Chiefs
In NFL daily fantasy leagues, matchups are important. Pay attention to favorable matchups rather than the overall quality of individual players. It is better to select an above-average offensive player facing poor to average defense than an elite talent facing above-average to elite defense.
Each position in ranked according to one of these four ratings: Elite, Above-average, Average, and Poor.
Offense
QB Alex Smith: Above-average
RB Jamaal Charles: Elite
WR1 Dwayne Bowe: Average
WR2 Donnie Avery: Poor
Slot WR Junior Hemingway: Average
TE Anthony Fasano: Average
O-line: LT Eric Fisher, LG Jeff Allen, C Rodney Hudson, RG Jeff Linkenbach, RT Donald Stephenson: Poor
Smith ekes out an above-average rating, not because of his talent, which is average, but because Jamaal Charles thrives on short passes. This alone will provide Smith with many passing yards and touchdowns which significantly boost his value, especially when facing teams that have trouble defending the screen.
Charles is a must-take when facing a poor to average run defense. Find a way to cope with his salary and fit him on your roster. Charles shares a spot with Adrian Peterson, Marshawn Lynch and LeSean McCoy as one of the top 4 running backs in the league. The Chiefs’’ o-line is terrible. If this were any running back other than those elite 4, I would recommend hesitating to take this player. But Charles has enough skill to overcome poor blocking and then some.
Avoid all Kansas City receivers. Andy Reid and Co. is sure to be punished for not adequately addressing the critical need for talent at the wide receiver position in the 2014 Draft. The current starting trio doesn’t give Smith a whole lot to work with.
Defense
CB1 Sean Smith: Average
CB2 Marcus Cooper: Average
Nickel CB Brandon Flowers: Above-average
Safeties: SS Eric Berry, FS Husain Abdullah: Above-average
Linebackers: OLB Justin Houston, ILB Derrick Johnson, ILB Joe Mays, OLB Tamba Hali: Elite
D-line: DE Mike Devito, NT Domari Poe, DE Allen Bailey: Above-average
Don’t be tempted by the pair of just-average starting cornerbacks: the Chiefs’ elite pass rush is enough to curb the production of any quarterback, which also lower the play of wide receivers. This front 7 is also excellent defending the run, especially nose tackle Domari Poe. It would be wise to avoid picking any offensive player matched up against Kansas City.
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