Kansas City finalizes its 53-man roster, trimming 29 players, with a clear aim to keep the Chiefs lean at quarterback and maximize upside across skill positions. The backfield blends Isiah Pacheco, Kareem Hunt, Elijah Mitchell, and Brashard Smith, while Rashee Rice headlines a WR group that also includes Hollywood Brown, Xavier Worthy, and JuJu Smith-Schuster. Travis Kelce anchors the tight end room alongside Noah Gray and Noah Wiley, with Robert Tonyan likely to rejoin. The o-line stays compact at nine, and the defense rotates around Karlaftis, Jones, Tillery, Nnadi, and Tranquill. Rice’s suspension timeline adds a wrinkle early, and waivers will shape the practice squad long before Week 1 in Brazil against the Chargers.

KC’s waiver strategy centers on re-signing potential practice-squad gems and the possibility of Tonyan returning as a veteran option. The roster also hints at how the Chiefs will deploy depth along the DL, LB, and secondary, especially with Nazeeh Johnson sidelined to start the first four games. The Chiefs’ Week 1 plan remains fluid, but the path to a strong fantasy season is anchored in Mahomes, Kelce, and a high-ceiling WR corps backed by a versatile backfield and a defense ready to lean on pressure from the edge and run-stopping interior.»

Kansas City rests a handful of veterans in Week 3 preseason against Chicago, with several depth pieces not slated to play. Chiefs inactive list includes Nazeeh Johnson, Jake Briningstool, Jack Cochrane, Omarr Norman-Lott, Ethan Driskell, plus Jaylen Royals and Mike Edwards. Chicago mirrors that approach, keeping Deion Hankins, Jaylon Johnson, Terell Smith, Shaun Wade, Kyler Gordon, Austin Booker and Dominique Robinson sidelined. Inactives emphasize rest and evaluation over injury, and rosters must disclose who sits about 90 minutes before kickoff. Fantasy takeaway: this is the weekend to watch untested backups seize reps and potentially carve roles behind the top units.

Expect Briningstool and Cochrane to get looks that could foreshadow later usage, while Norman-Lott and Driskell bubble up opportunities on the Chiefs’ interior line and depth chart. For Chicago, the absence of the starting DBs sharpens the spotlight on reserve corners and versatile linemen, which can tilt snap shares for those chasing late-round DFS angles. In other words, Week 3 becomes a stage for rookies and depth players to prove themselves and potentially alter late-season fantasy plans.

Overall, the matchup serves as a practical lab for evaluating depth and future rotation shifts, with inactives signaling thoughtful rest rather than injury. Both franchises leverage the game to test cohesion and identify hidden value among backups, a reminder that preseason results often illuminate future fantasy opportunities more than box-score highlights.

Chiefs prep for the preseason finale vs. Chicago with a growing list of injuries and a clear shift in how starters will be used in Week 3. Reid aims to balance timing and health, giving starters some reps while protecting key veterans ahead of Week 1 in Brazil against the Chargers.

Out for Friday are Briningstool, Cochrane, Driskell, Edwards, Nazeeh Johnson, Omarr Norman-Lott and Jalen Royals, with Fulton a potential returnee. Brown remains day-to-day after a foot/ankle issue. The injury chart tightens depth at TE, CB, and on the o-line, while the club emphasizes rhythm and proximity to the season opener.

Fantasy implications center on who steps up for Week 1 when Brown’s status is uncertain and CB depth is in flux. The plan prioritizes timing and execution, suggesting late-round flier opportunities at wideout and tight end, plus a watchful eye on back-end defensive roles as the opener in Brazil approaches.

The Steelers opened the season with Kaleb Johnson drafted to upgrade the backfield after Najee Harris left in free agency, but early signals paint a cautious picture. Johnson lacks elite burst yet shows patience and vision, which has sparked comparisons to Harris’ former role rather than a clean replacement. In training camp and one preseason game, there’s an impression Johnson isn’t an instant explosive upgrade. Jaylen Warren looms as the wild card, with the chance to bring the burst the Steelers need if Johnson isn’t delivering. Fantasy managers should watch how the committee shakes out in the remaining preseason games and consider Warren’s potential big-week upside if Johnson takes a slower path to lead-back duties.

Brooke Pryor echoed the sentiment publicly, framing Kaleb Johnson as Harris 2.0 and stirring conversations about whether the Steelers replaced Harris with a back who can outpace him. The run game’s immediate trajectory remains uncertain, hinging on Johnson’s ability to turn patience and vision into consistent yardage, and on Warren’s role providing the pop the offense sorely could use. With two more preseason games left, the backfield cadence, goal-line touches, and whether Johnson can generate a legitimate early-season floor will determine how fantasy owners position Pittsburgh’s runners in deeper leagues and DFS lineups.