Chiefs' Jerick McKinnon: Officially back with Kansas City
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Kansas City re-signed McKinnon on Tuesday, ESPN's Field Yates reports.
The Super Bowl champions did nothing to address their running back room in free agency or the draft prior to reuniting with McKinnon, who will slot in behind Isiah Pacheco atop the depth chart. Clyde Edwards-Helaire will open training camp as the distant No. 3 back. McKinnon caught a whopping nine touchdowns last season after entering 2022 with seven receiving TDs in his previous 87 NFL contests. That pace isn't sustainable, but McKinnon should remain heavily involved as a pass-catching complement to Pacheco after seeing 71 targets last year.
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Jerick McKinnon: Could sign with KC soon
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Chiefs GM Brett Veach said Monday that he "wouldn't be surprised" if the team re-signs McKinnon soon, Jordan Foote of Arrowhead Report reports.
Ian Rapoport of NFL Network expects it to happen, and Veach himself mentioned the possibility less than two weeks ago. McKinnon turns 31 on Wednesday, and while he's lost much of the athleticism that made him a Workout Warrior and third-round pick back in 2014, the Chiefs seem to like what he offers on passing downs. He was the team's primary receiving back at times in 2021, then took over the role on a more permanent basis in 2022 en route to a 56-512-9 receiving line and 72-291-1 rushing line. It'll be a major surprise if he approaches double-digit TDs again, but McKinnon could have some fantasy value if he locks down a similar role, particularly in PPR leagues. Isiah Pacheco and Clyde Edwards-Helaire again appear to be the primary competition for backfield snaps, as the Chiefs didn't draft any running backs and haven't signed any veterans this offseason.
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Jerick McKinnon: Could sign with Chiefs again
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Chiefs GM Brett Veach said Thursday that he'll talk with McKinnon after the NFL Draft, Nate Taylor of The Athletic reports. "He's certainly a guy that we love," Veach said. "Jerick likes to take his time and make sure he's ready to go."
The Chiefs currently have only three running backs on their roster and seemingly will consider re-signing McKinnon if the soon-to-be 32-year-old wants to play another season. While he doesn't offer much in terms of elusiveness or explosiveness at this point in his career, McKinnon's reliable hands and firm grasp of the KC offense made him the preferred option on passing downs for part of 2021 and most of 2022. He parlayed the role into a 56-512-9 receiving line, albeit with only 72-291-1 on the ground while Isiah Pacheco handled a majority of the carries. Apart from Pacheco, the Chiefs have Clyde Edwards-Helaire and La'Mical Perine under contract ahead of the draft.
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Chiefs' Jerick McKinnon: Totals 49 yards in Super Bowl win
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McKinnon carried the ball four times for 34 yards in Sunday's 38-35 Super Bowl win over the Eagles. He added three receptions for 15 yards.
McKinnon remained in a clear backup role to Isiah Pacheco, though he made the most of his opportunities. His best sequence came on the Chiefs' opening possession of the second half, when he racked up 21 rushing yards to help set up a touchdown for Pacheco. McKinnon will hit free agency this offseason, though Kansas City may be inclined to bring him back on a short-term deal to continue to pair with Pacheco.
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Chiefs' Jerick McKinnon: Minor role in AFC title win
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McKinnon rushed four times for one yard and brought in two of four targets for 17 yards during the Chiefs' 23-20 win over the Bengals in Sunday's AFC Championship Game. He also recovered a fumble.
The veteran running back didn't see much of an uptick in pass-catching opportunity even as the Chiefs lost receivers JuJu Smith-Schuster (knee), Kadarius Toney (ankle) and Mecole Hardman (pelvis) as the evening unfolded. McKinnon also filled his frequently modest role on the ground, although his recovery of a Travis Kelce fumble at the Bengals' 22-yard line late in the first quarter preserved a drive that subsequently culminated in a 24-yard Harrison Butker field goal. If backfield mate Clyde Edwards-Helaire (ankle, IR) is activated for the Super Bowl LVII matchup versus the Eagles in two weeks' time, McKinnon could see his touches reduce further in that contest.
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Chiefs' Jerick McKinnon: Disappoints against Jags
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McKinnon rushed the ball 11 times for 25 yards in Saturday's 27-20 win over the Jaguars.
McKinnon was stymied as a runner, and he was narrowly out-touched by Isiah Pacheco. While he was bottled up on the ground, the more surprising part of McKinnon's performance was the fact that he was not targeted in the passing game. That likely had to do with Patrick Mahomes' ankle injury early in the contest as well as the game script, and the Chiefs could opt to keep McKinnon in the backfield more regularly to serve as an extra blocker in next week's AFC Championship Game.
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Chiefs' Jerick McKinnon: Extends touchdown streak
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McKinnon tallied two rushes for six yards and hauled in two of three targets for no gain but scored a touchdown during Saturday's 31-13 victory against Las Vegas.
McKinnon didn't turn in his best fantasy effort of the bunch to close out the regular season, but he did extend his touchdown streak to six consecutive games with a receiving score against the Raiders, marking his eighth receiving touchdown over that span. He also added one rushing touchdown in that six-game stretch, giving him nine scores overall after tallying just one through the first 11 games. He figures to remain involved in Kansas City's backfield for the postseason run, presumably sharing reps with Isiah Pacheco and possibly Clyde Edwards-Helaire (ankle) if he's cleared to return.
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Chiefs' Jerick McKinnon: Two receiving scores in win
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McKinnon rushed twice for four yards and brought in five of six targets for 52 yards and two touchdowns in the Chiefs' 27-24 win over the Broncos on Sunday.
McKinnon's notable contributions unsurprisingly came through the air, with the elite pass-catching back scoring from six and three yards out in the second and fourth quarters, respectively. McKinnon now has seven receiving touchdowns in the last five contests, giving him plenty of momentum heading into a Week 18 road battle against the Raiders that he should see action in considering the Chiefs will still be battling for the top seed in the AFC.
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Chiefs' Jerick McKinnon: RBs to Start
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McKinnon caught another touchdown in Week 16 against Seattle, which was the fourth game in a row where he had a receiving score. That's tied for the longest streak for a running back since 1970. We'll see if he can make it five in a row against the Broncos, and he destroyed Denver in Week 14 with six carries for 22 yards and seven catches for 112 yards and two touchdowns on nine targets. He had a relatively quiet game against the Seahawks with five carries for 7 yards and three catches for 31 yards and a touchdown on three targets, and 12 PPR points is probably more in line with what you should expect. But he's hot right now, so keep him active in all leagues in Week 17.
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Chiefs' Jerick McKinnon: Cashes in receiving TD
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McKinnon rushed five times for seven yards and caught all three of his targets for 31 yards and a touchdown in Saturday's 24-10 win over Seattle.
McKinnon was bottled up on the ground, but he was able to provide his fifth receiving touchdown -- and sixth overall -- over his last four games. Isiah Pacheco (90 yards on 15 touches) did the heavy lifting on early downs, but McKinnon's nose for the end zone as a receiver salvaged a down rushing performance. The 30-year-old is on an incredible hot streak and warrants starting until he cools off, but fantasy managers should be wary of the dud potential with a player who is so touchdown-dependent. McKinnon will attempt to keep his scoring streak going against the Broncos next Sunday.
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Chiefs' Jerick McKinnon: RBs to Start
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This could be the week where McKinnon turns into a pumpkin, but you have to start him based on his recent level of production. He has scored at least 13 PPR points in three games in a row, including a whopping 66 PPR points in his past two games against Denver and Houston. In those two outings he has 15 catches for 182 yards and three touchdowns on 17 targets, and he has at least 13 total touches in each of the past two weeks. Mecole Hardman (abdomen) could return this week and take touches away from McKinnon, and I still like Isiah Pacheco as a flex. The Seahawks are No. 2 in most Fantasy points allowed to opposing running backs this season, and five running backs have scored at least 14 PPR points against Seattle in the past five weeks alone. Let's hope McKinnon can stay hot for at least one more game.
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Chiefs' Jerick McKinnon: Start Him (Lineup Decisions)
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McKinnon's role as the high-leverage situational running back figures to stick, especially after Pacheco had a fumble last week. There is a little worry about how the Chiefs operate inside the 10-yard line with receiver Mecole Hardman back, but any impact there could happen in Week 17 after Hardman takes a week to get re-acclimated. Pacheco isn't a bad option, especially in non-PPR leagues, but McKinnon shapes up as a quality starter with upside to finish as Fantasy's No. 1 RB, just as he's been each of the past two weeks. I'd start him in PPR over Kenneth Walker, Joe Mixon, Ezekiel Elliott and Alvin Kamara.
This one has been brewing for a while, as McKinnon has consistently played the most snaps for the Chiefs at running back, but the Fantasy production just started to come. Even if you don't want to start him this week, he should be 100% rostered because if something happens to Isiah Pacheco it's late enough in the season that the Chiefs might just give McKinnon 15 touches per game. This week he's more of a high-end flex.
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Chiefs' Jerick McKinnon: Week 15 Waiver Priority List
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McKinnon serves two purposes for Fantasy managers. He can be a flex option in PPR since he's scored at least 10 PPR points in four of his past six games, including at least 13 PPR points in his past two outings. And he's the most likely handcuff to Isiah Pacheco for the Chiefs, making him a lottery ticket. McKinnon should be rostered in 100 percent of leagues for his upside, and he can be a flex play in Week 15 at the Texans, who allow the most Fantasy points to opposing running backs. He then faces Seattle in Week 16, Denver in Week 17 (he just scored 32 PPR points against the Broncos) and at Las Vegas in Week 18, which are all favorable matchups. McKinnon is worth adding for 10-15 percent of your remaining FAB.
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Chiefs' Jerick McKinnon: Huge day as receiver Sunday
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McKinnon carried the ball six times for 22 yards and caught seven of nine targets for 112 yards and two touchdowns in Sunday's 34-28 win over the Broncos.
The running back set the tone for another huge performance by the Kansas City offense in the second quarter, catching a grenade toss-like pass from Patrick Mahomes along the sideline and taking it 56 yards to the house. McKinnon then capped the team's next possession with a 10-yard TD catch. Rookie Isiah Pacheco remains the primary early-down back for Kansas City, but both RBs figure to be productive in Week 15 against a Texans defense that just coughed up 143 combined yards and three touchdowns to the Cowboys duo of Tony Pollard and Ezekiel Elliott.
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Chiefs' Jerick McKinnon: Week 14 Waiver Priority List
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McKinnon had a productive game in Week 13 at Cincinnati with eight carries for 51 yards, along with two catches for 9 yards and a touchdown on two targets, and he's now scored at least 10 PPR points in three of his final five games. He's not going to get a lot of work while Isiah Pacheco is healthy, but he's the handcuff for Pacheco as of now. That makes McKinnon worth stashing in most leagues as a potential lottery ticket. He's worth adding in all formats for up to 5 percent of your remaining FAB.
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Chiefs' Jerick McKinnon: Set to play in Week 13
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McKinnon (hamstring) practiced fully Friday and doesn't have a designation for Sunday's game at Cincinnati.
For four straight weeks, McKinnon has dealt with a number of health concerns, but a strained hamstring is the issue that has followed him into Week 13 prep. After sitting out practice both Wednesday and Thursday, he handled every rep at Friday's session, thus clearing him to be available to the Chiefs backfield Sunday. However, McKinnon won't have much more than a complementary role behind Isiah Pacheco, which has amounted to seven carries for 26 yards, 10 catches (on 15 targets) for 82 yards and no touchdowns over the last three contests.
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Chiefs' Jerick McKinnon: Back at practice Friday
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McKinnon (hamstring) returned to practice Friday, Pete Sweeney of ArrowheadPride.com reports.
Sweeney indicated that it sounds like McKinnon should be available Sunday against the Bengals, but Friday's final injury report will clarify whether or not the running back heads into the weekend carrying a Week 13 injury designation.
McKinnon (hamstring) won't practice Thursday, Matt McMullen of the Chiefs' official site reports.
McKinnon, who is dealing with a hamstring issue, also missed practice Wednesday, so the running back's status for Sunday's game against the Bengals currently is uncertain. If McKinnon is unable to play this weekend, Ronald Jones is available to handle complementary snaps behind Isiah Pacheco, while newcomer Melvin Gordon is a candidate to be elevated from the Chiefs' practice squad in advance of Week 13 action.
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Chiefs' Jerick McKinnon: Dealing with hamstring issue
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McKinnon won't practice Wednesday due to a hamstring strain, Matt McMullen of the Chiefs' official site reports.
If the running back is able to move past the issue before Sunday's game against the Bengals, he would be in line to fill a change-of-pace role out of the backfield behind starter Isiah Pacheco, the Chiefs' lead option on the ground. Kansas City also has Ronald Jones on the 53-man roster as another candidate to handle the pass-catching role if McKinnon can't play Sunday, and veteran Melvin Gordon was added to the practice squad earlier this week and could be elevated to the roster this weekend for further insurance, if needed.
