Friday Night Football Preview: Chiefs at Chargers (São Paulo, Brazil)
Friday Night Football Preview: Chiefs at Chargers (São Paulo)
Line: Chiefs -3 | Total: 45.5
The NFL’s international slate kicks off with a heavyweight AFC West clash in São Paulo. Kansas City enters as a field-goal favorite in a game projected to be competitive but not a shootout. Here’s how the matchups shake out.
Quarterbacks
Patrick Mahomes, Chiefs – 13th-hardest QB matchup. Nothing extreme either way. A lot of offseason chatter about downfield passing, so let’s see what they have in store before expecting it. Against a division rival, Mahomes is a lock as an upside QB1.
Justin Herbert, Chargers – 13th-easiest QB matchup. KC’s secondary has been stingy, so Herbert’s efficiency could dip. Still a low ceiling/high floor QB2 in most formats.
Wide Receivers
Xavier Worthy, Chiefs – Neutral WR matchup. Worthy should be heavily involved with Rashee Rice suspended. Worthy offers volatility with speed
Hollywood Brown, Chiefs – Neutral WR matchup. Deep-league flex only, tied to splash plays.
Rashee Rice is suspended for the first 6 games
Ladd McConkey, Chargers – Neutral WR matchup. The consistent piece of this Chargers offense, should have a decent amount of opportunity in this game. Low ceiling WR1/2, limited TD upside and could see Trent McDuffie on the other side.
Keenan Allen, Chargers – Neutral WR matchup. Will be interesting to see usage after signing with his former team. Volume keeps him viable as a surprise WR3/4, though efficiency could be limited.
Running Backs
Isiah Pacheco, Chiefs – 5th Hardest RB matchup. His violent running style, paired with this matchup, puts him firmly in upside RB2 territory, with RB1 potential if game script leans positive, he can catch more passes than in previous seasons.
Omarion Hampton (R), Chargers – Hardest RB matchup. Rookie facing a tough assignment, best viewed as a RB2 for now. KC’s front is no joke, but until we see usage tough to rank him higher.
Najee Harris, Chargers – Returning from eye injury this offseason, will need to see if the reps are going to be full workload. Harris’ pass-game usage keeps him in low-end RB3/flex range.
Tight Ends
Travis Kelce, Chiefs – Hardest TE matchup. The numbers say tough, but Kelce is matchup-proof with TD upside. He remains locked in as a top 5-7 TE with week-winning upside, will be dependent on usage this season.
Chargers TEs – 5th Best TE matchup. No clear lead option here, and the draw isn’t favorable. All sit in the TE2 or lower range.