There hadn’t been much news or an update on the Rashee Rice car crash incident - until today. Adam Schefter reported around noon on Thursday that a Dallas County judge has sentenced Chiefs WR Rashee Rice to five years probation and 30 days of jail time that can be served during those five years.

The timing of that news could have big implications for the Chiefs and for fantasy football. It’s also being reported by Adam Schefter that the decision coming before the NFL season should see Rice serving a suspension during the 2025 NFL season. It’s yet to be seen how many games he will miss, but it will certainly impact the Chiefs' offense and their other weapons. Let’s discuss the details we have and the potential impact.
 

 

 

Rashee Rice Car Crash Incident

On March 30, 2024, Rashee Rice was involved in a multi-car crash in Dallas, Texas. A video on the incident shows Rice speeding in a Lamborghini and crashing with a Corvette being driven by another man, Theodore Knox. The result saw both vehicles then colliding with additional vehicles in a multi-car pile-up.

The video then shows Rice and Knox both fleeing the scene of the incident without stopping to check on the injuries of the other parties. Rice surrendered himself to police on April 11th and has reportedly been cooperating with police. The charges included aggravated assault and a collision involving injury. 

 

 


 

Rashee Rice News, Charges, and NFL Suspension Length

The NFL is expected to take action regarding the incident and suspend Rice during the 2025 NFL season. Rice has not been suspended before, though he was involved in an incident where he allegedly punched a photographer (the photographer eventually decided not to press charges). 

Based on historic precedent, we can likely expect the suspension to take place at the start season. There is not a lot of data for this specific type of incident, though Adam Schefter speculates that Rice will be suspended for at least two games. The Chiefs' schedule starts with the Los Angeles Chargers, Philadelphia Eagles, New York Giants, Baltimore Ravens, Jacksonville Jaguars, and Detroit Lions, so there are some key matchups for them in those first six games. Anything longer than that could also affect their matchups with the Washington Commanders (Week 8) and Buffalo Bills (Week 9).

 

 

 

Will Jalen Royals Fill In For Rice?

In preparation for this possibility, the Chiefs did add rookie Jalen Royals. Royals has some overlapping skillsets with Rice in his explosiveness, his ability in the screen game, and with contested catches. Rather than changing the roles for guys like Xavier Worthy or Hollywood Brown, the Chiefs do have the luxury of potentially using Royals in that role until Rice returns from his suspension. Or they could expand the roles of one of the other options, like they did last year with Xavier Worthy when Rashee Rice and Hollywood Brown were both injured. 

 

 

 

Xavier Worthy Stats

Xavier Worthy, another of the Chiefs' wideouts, was decent in 2024 with 59 receptions for 638 yards and 6 touchdowns in 17 games, of which he started 13. He is a mid-round fantasy selection with WR2/3 worth as a deep threat and consistent target of Patrick Mahomes, particularly in PPR formats, unless Rice's availability is questionable.

 

 


 

How Will The Chiefs Handle Rashee Rice?

The Chiefs have not commented on Rice's status, but with his legal issues and probable NFL suspension, the team will need to make some adjustments. Rice's 2023 rookie campaign (79 receptions, 938 yards, 7 TDs) indicates his relevance, but with his 2024 ACL injury and present problems, the Chiefs will need to rely on players such as Xavier Worthy and Hollywood Brown. Depth options such as Jalen Royals or JuJu Smith-Schuster could see some usage, but their fantasy value would be low. Rice could be handled gingerly by fantasy owners, maybe drafting him in mid- to late-rounds (5-7) but favoring safer options such as Worthy.

 

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