Kansas City faces a Week 1 test in Brazil against the Los Angeles Chargers, but rookie Jalen Royals may not be ready. Andy Reid indicated Royals continues to rehab a knee issue and Week 1 looks unlikely, leaving a late-season timeline. Royals, a fourth-round pick from Utah State, joined KC after a preseason where he recorded 3 catches for 14 yards. His college résumé included 55 receptions, 834 yards, and 6 TDs, earning second-team All-Mountain West honors while starting seven games.

Six sleeper rookie targets for 2025 dynasty drafts emerge: Jalen Milroe, Brashard Smith, Jaylin Noel, Jalen Royals, Harold Fannin Jr., and Terrance Ferguson. Milroe’s rushing floor and athletic ceiling give him 1QB-round3/4 appeal, while Smith could inject KC with burst if Pacheco or Hunt run into trouble. Noel looks poised to step into Houston’s passing game with Dell sidelined, Royals adds Chiefs upside behind Brown, Fannin Jr. could become Cleveland’s athletic tight end sooner than later, and Ferguson offers a path to late-round TE value in LA.

Target these six in rounds 3–4 of dynasty rookie drafts, with Milroe as the standout 1QB option and Noel/ Royals as high-leverage WR bets in strong offenses. The others provide high-upside dart options, particularly in leagues needing youth at TE behind Njoku and Higbee.

Jalen Royals is poised to slip into Kansas City’s pass-heavy attack early in 2025 as Rashee Rice serves a suspension and knee issues slow Royals in camp. Week 1 likely won’t see him as a full-time starter, but his speed and after-the-catch ability give him a real chance to contribute soon and grow into a bigger role as Rice returns. In deep leagues, Royals is a late-round dart with intriguing long-term upside if he lands targets in a high-scoring offense.

Rashee Rice will serve a six‑game suspension to open the season for violating the NFL personal conduct policy, with a return slated for Week 7 against the Las Vegas Raiders. The discipline was overseen by Sue L. Robinson, and Rice’s case follows a Dallas crash sentencing that included jail time and probation. In 2023 Rice logged 79 receptions for 938 yards and 7 TDs; he tore his knee in Week 4 of 2024, missing the rest of the season. Kansas City began with eight WR on the initial 53‑man roster—Rice, Xavier Worthy, Hollywood Brown, JuJu Smith‑Schuster, Tyquan Thornton, Nikko Remigio, Jason Brownlee, and Jalen Royals—creating a volatile but rich target pool for fantasy players.

Dont'e Thornton Jr. is a rare 6'5", 205-pound freak with a 4.30s 40 who could push for Las Vegas’ immediate lead role if the offense leans into big-play ability. He profiles as the clear X receiver in the Raiders’ plans, especially with Brock Bowers at TE and Jakobi Meyers drawing coverage. Jack Bech faces a tougher path in Vegas, lacking elite speed and needing separation to carve out snaps behind Meyers and Bowers. Jalen Royals lands in Kansas City with upside if Rashee Rice faces suspension, offering a reasonable flex or dynasty play as Reid eases rookies in. Overall, this rookie trio highlights late-round upside in 2025 fantasy drafts, with Thornton offering the highest short-term ceiling, Bech a wait-for-it option, and Royals a speculative spike if opportunities open up.

In short, Thornton’s athletic profile and early workload projections make him the most promising immediate-impact rookie, Bech warrants patience in a crowded Raiders receiver room, and Royals carries the longest path to fantasy relevance in KC, contingent on off-field and in-season suspensions shaping a clearer target picture.