DeAndre

Hopkins

ESPN’s Adam Schefter reports the deal will pay Hopkins $5 million with a chance to grow to $6 million with incentives. The wideout will continues his career and join forces with Lamar Jackson and Derrick Henry in the Charm City. Hopkins was once among the very best wideouts in football, but he’s slowed down considerably, and averaged just 1.71 yards per route in 2024. He’ll simply be a depth piece for the Ravens, and it’s hard to imagine fantasy intrigue in 2025.

Hopkins’ seven-yard garbage time score was just his second since Thanksgiving. Acquired from the Titans near the trade deadline, 32-year-old Hopkins had by far his least productive healthy campaign. The Chiefs took notice, phasing him out of the offense down the stretch. Hopkins caught all of three passes for 29 yards during the Chiefs’ three-game playoff run. His 1.71 yards per route run was by far his worst mark since 2016, when Brock Osweiler was the Texans’ primary quarterback. It placed 48th in PFF’s database. In steady decline for several years now, Hopkins is headed to free agency. We doubt he will be back in Kansas City considering the way he lost work down the stretch. Hopkins’ prodigious fantasy career is on its last legs.

Smith-Schuster’s 31-yarder in the first quarter set up the Chiefs near the doorstep of the red zone, and a 29-yarder did the same on Kansas City’s go-ahead touchdown drive early in the fourth quarter. Smith-Schuster handily outsnapped No. 4 and No. 5 wideouts DeAndre Hopkins and Justin Watson 37-12-11. There may not be enough balls to go around for Smith-Schuster to have more than this kind of splash DFS value in the Super Bowl, but he appears well ahead of Hopkins and Watson on snaps.

Stunningly, this was the first time in Hopkins’ pro career he was held without a catch. It may be stunning, but it’s not surprising after Hopkins’ usage dwindled down the stretch of the regular season. The 32-year-old’s legs seem to be gone. Nuk’s experience and sure hands could still prove an important factor in the AFC Championship Game, but statistical expectations need to be minimized.

Carson Wentz will draw the start this week. Reid didn’t name every starter getting the day off, but our best guess for the list of names includes Travis Kelce, Isiah Pacheco, Kareem Hunt, DeAndre Hopkins, Xavier Worthy, and Hollywood Brown. Expect others to make the cut as well. The Chiefs are massive underdogs to the Broncos this week, all but guaranteeing Denver a spot in the playoffs.

Even on a day where Patrick Mahomes was able to throw for 320 yards and three scores, Hopkins was a non-factor in the Kansas City passing attack. It’s hard to watch for those who remember him being one of — if not the — best receivers in the world. He and the Chiefs have clinched homefield advantage, however, so it’s possible Hopkins will get a ring even while being the fifth option at best in this passing attack.

Hopkins had a few nice catches, but has evolved into a touchdown-or-bust option over the last month-and-a-half. Since Week 10 he has cleared the 60-yard mark once despite some solid target totals. If Hollywood Brown eats further into his snap share (Hopkins had 30, second-most amongst wideouts) it will be hard to recommend starting Hopkins going forward. Against the Steelers in Week 17, Hopkins probably belongs in a lineup only in deeper leagues.

Brown practiced in full throughout the week and will now make his Chiefs debut on Saturday versus the Texans. The Chiefs will ease Brown back into the lineup, keeping him off the fantasy radar for Week 16. However, his return makes already thin bets in Xavier Worthy and DeAndre Hopkins that much worse for fantasy purposes. Hopkins has been a part-time player since joining the Chiefs and now there’s even more of a threat to his routes. Xavier Worthy, on the other hand, runs all of the routes but rarely sees WR1 usage. His 11-target outing in Week 15 will keep him in the WR3 ranks for Saturday’s matchup with Houston.

Hopkins’ 36 yards were actually his second most of the past five weeks, which tells you where he’s been at in fantasy of late. Hopkins has had the decency to furnish a 4-5 catch floor, but it’s coming with zero ceiling. That briefly appeared to change Sunday when Hopkins seemed to have a 40-plus yard grab to get the Chiefs inside the Browns’ five-yard line early in the third quarter, but replay review quickly revealed the ball hitting the ground. Now the question becomes Patrick Mahomes’ (ankle) status for Week 16. Mahomes seems like he could play if it were a must-win game, but the Chiefs feel unlikely to view it that way. Either way, Hopkins will be struggling to crack the top 36 for the fantasy semifinals.

Hopkins caught a second quarter touchdown to send the Chiefs into the break up 13-0. The Chargers then mounted a spirited comeback in the third frame when they scored 14 unanswered points, eventually resulting in traded field goals in the fourth. Hopkins could have had a much bigger fantasy outing had he come down with any of the three deep targets on the evening, most notably failing to haul in a deep pass from Patrick Mahomes on the team’s final drive that was in his hands but dislodged by a vicious hit down the left sideline. Even so, Hopkins continues to lead an unconcentrated pass-catching corps that could catch fire down the stretch as they prepare for the postseason. Up next for Hopkins and the Chiefs are the Browns in Week 15.