Wide receiver Jeremy Maclin changed the entire dynamic of the Kansas City Chiefs offense after joining the team last year, but after he aggravated his groin injury against the Jacksonville Jaguars on Sunday, Tyreek Hill and Chris Conley will be forced to step up.
Maclin is the clear No. 1 option in the passing game despite some inconsistency with 30 receptions for 376 yards and two touchdowns to this point in 2016 after establishing himself as quarterback Alex Smith’s favorite target last season.
The former Philadelphia Eagles standout made a career-high 87 receptions for 1,088 yards and eight touchdowns in 2015, which was significant since the Chiefs went through the entire 2014 campaign without a wide receiver catching a touchdown.
KC’s offense may revert back to that with Maclin on the shelf, as Hill and Conley will take on the burden at the wide receiver position. Here is a look at their production so far in 2016 prior to Week 9:
Hill is a rookie fifth-round pick out of West Alabama, and he has added a dimension of explosiveness to the Kansas City offense.
The speedster is a threat to take the ball to the house any time he touches it whether it is as a receiver or a ball carrier on reverses.
In addition to that, Hill provides value as a return man, which gives him even more opportunities to score on a game-to-game basis.
At 6’2″ and 207 pounds, the Chiefs selected Conley in the third round of the 2015 NFL draft out of Georgia. He did earn five starts, but ended the year with just 17 catches for 199 yards and one touchdown, along with another six receptions for 42 yards and one score in the postseason.
Conley’s potential is through the roof, but he can’t yet be trusted as a starter in fantasy despite the Chiefs being forced to press him into an increased role.
Although Hill and Conley will be more heavily involved in the offense for as long as Maclin is out, the bigger beneficiaries in the passing game figure to be tight end Travis Kelce and the running backs in order for safer and shorter throws.
It is unlikely that either Wilson or Conley will establish themselves as reliable fantasy starters, but Hill is worth an add and stash on the bench as he continues to grow into a role similar to what Percy Harvin filled during his heyday with the Minnesota Vikings, while Conley is best left on the waiver wire.
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