In the 16th of a 32-part series, we are featuring all National Football League teams with a prediction of where each team will finish within their division, key off-season acquisitions and their top fantasy stars. Here are the Kansas City Chiefs.
Key Off Season Acquisitions
There are four new notable Kansas City Chiefs this season. They are running back Kenneth Walker III of Arlington, Texas, safety Alohi Gilman of Laie, Hawaii, defensive tackle Khyiris Tonga of West Valley City, Utah, and quarterback Justin Fields of Kennesaw, Georgia.
Walker III signed a three-year contract worth $45 million with the Chiefs on March 12. He has played the last four seasons with the Seahawks. Walker III won a Super Bowl with the Seahawks last season where he was the Super Bowl MVP. In a 29-13 Seahawks win over the New England Patriots, Walker III had 161 total yards. In 2025, he had 221 rushes for 1027 rushing yards and five rushing touchdowns along with 31 catches for 282 receiving yards.
Gilman signed a three-year contract worth $24 million on March 12. He is joining his third NFL franchise after six seasons with the Los Angeles Rams from 2020 to 2025, and one season with the Baltimore Ravens in 2025. This past season with the Rams and Ravens, Gilman had 90 combined tackles (50 solo tackles and 40 assisted tackles), ran 84 yards on an interception return for a touchdown after Kyle Van Noy of Reno, Nevada had the interception, one quarterback hit, one tackle for loss, nine pass deflections, one forced fumble, and two fumble recoveries for 11 yards. The forced fumble and first fumble recovery came in a 28-6 Ravens win over the Miami Dolphins on October 30. The quarterback hit and second fumble recovery came in a 23-10 Ravens win over the New York Jets on November 23. The 84 yards on an interception return for a touchdown came in a 24-0 Ravens win over the Cincinnati Bengals on December 14.
Tonga signed a three-year contract worth $21 million on March 12. He is joining his fifth NFL team after one season with the Chicago Bears (2021), two seasons with the Minnesota Vikings (2022 and 2023), one season with the Arizona Cardinals (2024) and one season with the New England Patriots (2025). In 2025 with the Patriots, Tonga had 24 combined tackles (nine solo tackles and 15 assisted tackles), two tackles for a loss, two quarterback hits, and two pass deflections. The two tackles for a loss and two pass deflections came in Patriots wins. The first pass deflection was in a 42-13 Patriots win over the Carolina Panthers on September 28 and the second pass deflection was in a 27-14 Patriots win over the New York Jets on November 13. The first tackle for a loss was in a 25-19 Patriots win over the New Orleans Saints on October 12 and the second tackle for a loss was in a 32-13 Patriots win over the Cleveland Browns on October 26.
Fields was traded from the Jets to the Chiefs for a sixth round pick in the 2027 NFL Draft on March 16. The Chiefs are Fields’s fourth NFL team after three seasons with the Chicago Bears (2021 to 2023), one season with the Pittsburgh Steelers (2024) and one season with the New York Jets (2025). This past season, Fields completed 128 passes in 204 attempts in 2025. He had 1259 passing yards, seven touchdown passes and one interception. On the ground, Fields had 71 rushes for 383 rushing yards and four rushing touchdowns.
Fantasy Star
Walker III is ranked seventh among running backs. It will be interesting to see how he fits into a Chiefs franchise which focuses on the pass.
Projected Finish
The Chiefs were the the AFC West champions for nine straight years from 2016 to 2024. However, last year Kansas City missed the playoffs with a 6-11 losing record and were third in the AFC West. The fate of the Chiefs this season depends on the health, ageism and consistency of quarterback Patrick Mahomes. After suffering a serious knee injury late last season, Mahomes is slated to start the season on time. The problem in KC is they don’t have that explosive wide receiver Mahomes can rely on regularly. That is why I have them finishing third again in the AFC West behind the Denver Broncos and Los Angeles Chargers.
