Chiefs Fantasy Football: Analyst Predicts Career Year for Marquise Brown

Now in the best football situation of his career, expectations are sky-high for Brown entering the 2024 campaign.

Nov 19, 2023; Houston, Texas, USA; Arizona Cardinals wide receiver Marquise Brown (2) runs with the ball during the game against the Houston Texans at NRG Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Troy Taormina-USA TODAY Sports / Troy Taormina-USA TODAY Sports

A year ago, fantasy football managers had a somewhat difficult time deciding which Kansas City Chiefs wide receivers to draft and where to pick them up. Things might be a tad bit easier this time around, but it isn't because the room is composed of the exact same players.

This offseason, general manager Brett Veach added Marquise "Hollywood" Brown and Xavier Worthy to a room that already had Rashee Rice coming off a stellar rookie campaign. That projected top three compares favorably to last year's initial mix of players like Marquez Valdes-Scantling, Kadarius Toney, Skyy Moore and Justin Watson. Instead of hoping someone near the top contributes, Kansas City should be expecting it in 2024.

Which member of the Chiefs' current leading trio should be drafted first in fantasy events later this summer? Gary Davenport of Bleacher Report believes Brown is the go-to name.

"Worthy is a talented young prospect, but his next NFL catch will be his first," Davenport wrote. "Rice had a rock-solid rookie year, but he's staring at a personal conduct suspension after multiple off-field incidents. Brown has the talent. Now he's playing with the best quarterback of his career. Brown's sixth season will be his best."

Brown, now over half a decade into his career, has put up a mixed bag of statistical production in the last three years. In 2021, he broke out during his final campaign with the Baltimore Ravens by posting career-best marks in receptions (91), yards (1,008) and games started (16). Since then, however, his numbers declined over the course of two years with the Arizona Cardinals.

Now healthy and in a pass-happy offense, the bar is set high. If Brown manages a career year as Davenport predicts, it would mean tremendous things for Kansas City. Just last week, quarterback Patrick Mahomes praised his progress in the offense thus far.

"He's done a great job," Mahomes said. "It's hard to learn this offense, and I feel like he's done a great job picking it up very fast. And then, obviously, you see the ability. Honestly, I don't know how he's here in our place because of how talented he is. I can just see that it's going to be a great season for him and just take pressure off other guys. I think it's going to help get Trav (Travis Kelce) open, help get Rashee open, it's going to help get all these guys open because you're going to have that speed threat that can run routes and do all those different things. I'm very excited to get him out there in the regular season."

During that aforementioned 2021 season, Brown notched the 25th-most fantasy points at the wide receiver spot. In the following two years, he ranked 47th and 52nd, respectively. With training camp on the horizon, outlets like ESPN and FantasyPros have him projected outside the top 32 league-wide. That indicates the lack of a true No. 1 receiver in Kansas City, which is nothing new in the post-Tyreek Hill era.

Can Brown shake things up and return to form this year? Despite the middling outlooks from other fantasy experts, Davenport is bullish on those odds.

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