Fantasy Football Team Preview: Chiefs

With Fantasy Football season ready to kick in high gear, FanHouse is here to preview each and every team -- one per day until we've done them all.

Meet The ...
Conclusion of the Butt Chiefs. That lousy 2-14 Chiefs squad from 2008 has nowhere to go but up from here, so they will no longer be the butt of everyone's joke. Remember that explosive offense for the NFC Champion, Arizona Cardinals. Well, former offensive coordinator Todd Haley assumes his first head coaching job this season in Kansas City. In other words, the Chiefs offense just became very relevant for fantasy football owners. Sure, Haley still faces a massive challenge in terms of personnel, but you can rest assured that this season, the Chiefs' offense will make plays just like Haley's Cardinals did.

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The first big move involved signing New England's surprise success story at quarterback, Matt Cassel, who stepped in admirably in Tom Brady's absence. The big issue remains on the offensive line and thus raised the question as to whether Cassel will spend the season starting at the sky, but the passing game should post giant stats much like Kurt Warner's did in Arizona. The running game will likely be less than stellar, but again, think Arizona. The running game hardly matters.

The Breakout
Dwayne Bowe is a virtual lock for a big season. Coming into his third year after already posting two very impressive ones, Bowe stands to benefit from Haley's offense more so than anyone. Haley's pass happy attack and the addition of a quality quarterback in Matt Cassel make Bowe a top ten, maybe top five receiver this season. Better yet, many fantasy players are still not that familiar with Bowe's past numbers and potential for bigger ones, so he should be a decent value as he'll likely fall to the third, maybe fourth round. Furthermore, the departure of Tony Gonzalez certainly will not reduce Bowe's touches. Bowe is almost worth planning your draft strategy around this season.

The Bust
Anyone else having a case of deja vu? Take my colleague Matt Snyder's advice from last season, because it hasn't changed a bit. "Larry Johnson on your fantasy team is a big mistake." Coming off a suspension for a night club incident and a team that can hardly stand him, Larry Johnson's days are numbered. He cannot block, which will certainly annoy Todd Haley and Co. and he is inching closer to thirty every day. Amazingly, people still refuse to listen; Johnson's ADP remains an unbelievably overrated No. 57. The only good thing Larry Johnson provides on draft day is fodder to make fun of the idiot who actually drafts him in the fifth round. The one caveat for Johnson is that if the Chiefs do release him, there is a chance he might find a better home elsewhere, at which point it is worth reassessing his value.

The Depth Chart
QB1 - Matt Cassel
QB2 - Tyler Thigpen
RB1 - Larry Johnson
RB2 - Jamaal Charles
RB3 - Kolby Smith
WR1 - Dwayne Bowe
WR2 - Mark Bradley
WR3 - Bobby Engram
WR4 - Devard Darling
TE1 - Brad Cottam
TE2 - Sean Ryan
K - Connor Barth

The D/ST
In addition to the revamped offense, the Chiefs have a new defensive coordinator in Clancy Pendergast, another Arizona guy. The defense should improve with a fortified defensive line thanks to first round pickup Tyson Jackson, but the personnel overall is definitely nothing special. Zach Thomas and Mike Vrabel should also bolster the linebacker corps, but this unit will be available on waivers for your disposal should they surprise anyone. Temper any expectations here as there are an awful lot of moving parts.

The Chiefs kicking situation is also not important to key in on. The starter should be Connor Barth, but draft pick Ryan Succop may challenge him for the role. Both will obviously be on the waiver wires since 95% of people have probably never heard of either of them.

The Skinny
- Looking to play the late quarterback pickup game? Matt Cassel is the perfect choice. Cassel's ADP is currently around #100 and as mentioned, the Chiefs are going to pass like crazy. Furthermore, they are still likely to be playing from behind in a lot of games, so he will rack up yards like you won't believe. The Chiefs claim that Tyler Thigpen will still compete for the starting job, but you can count on Cassel having a good year. I would recommend pairing him with another late round QB or even two for safety if you opt for this approach though.

- Given the departure of Tony Gonzalez and the Arizona-esque offense, it is doubtful that the tight end position will have much impact. Brad Cottam looks like the best offensive weapon, but he'll be on waivers if he does manage to break out.

- Keep an eye on matchups with Kansas City as they face a lot of tough defenses (Baltimore, Pittsburgh, New York Giants, San Diego, and Philadelphia).

- Finally, watch out for Jamaal Charles as a late sleeper (ADP around 150). He has the best speed and actually blocks, so if the coaching staff decides to bag Larry Johnson, which is not entirely unlikely, he may be a good pickup.