Making the Case

✅ Collegiately-Productive
✅ Highly-Athletic
✅ Highly-Drafted
✅ Excellent Rookie Season
✅ Excellent YAC-Ability
✅ Breakout YR2
✅ Perfect “Situation”
✅ Injury-Deflated Outlook
✅ Suspension Discount

Many view Rashee Rice as a “risk” heading into 2025.

Lemme tell you why he’s worth that risk.

For starters – Rice was collegiately-productive.

He was involved as a true freshman (25/403/1) & led SMU in receptions in 3-consecutive seasons as a sophomore, junior, & senior (48/683/5, 64/670/9, & 96/1335/10 receiving).

Rice finished 3rd in the NCAA in receiving yards in his final season.

Rice’s college peripherals were also solid.

1.89, 1.96, 2.08, & 3.05 YPRR in 4 seasons; career 2.34 YPRR.

79.8 & 85.6 PFF Receiving Grades in his final 2 seasons.

Rashee Rice is also quite athletic.

• 4.51 40
• 1.49 10-yard split, tied for 3rd in his class
• 41” vertical, tied for 1st in his class

Rice was 50th percentile & above in every category except height (via Mockdraftable).

Rice was graded with a 9.53/10 RAS score (Top-150 all-time out of over 3,000 WR’s).

Rashee Rice was also drafted relatively-high (RD2, 55th overall).

More importantly – Rice had a stellar rookie season in the NFL (79/938/7 on 102 targets in 16 games).

Rice is 1 of just 12 WR’s in the last decade to post 75+ receptions & 900+ yards as a rookie.

The other WR’s?

• Odell Beckham Jr.
• Michael Thomas
• Justin Jefferson
• Amon-Ra St. Brown
• Jaylen Waddle
• Ja’Marr Chase
• Garrett Wilson
• Puka Nacua
• Malik Nabers
• Brian Thomas Jr.
• Ladd McConkey

Rice’s peripherals (2.39 YPRR, 85.1 PFF Receiving Grade) were also really good.

He’s 1 of just 9 WR’s since 2010 to post an 85.0+ PFF Receiving Grade as a rookie.

The other WR’s?

• Malik Nabers (87.1)
• Puka Nacua (85.1)
• Garrett Wilson (85.9)
• Drake London (85.3)
• Justin Jefferson (90.5)
• Terry McLaurin (86.5)
• Michael Thomas (86.3)
• Odell Beckham Jr. (91.2)

Rice was Top-12 in PFF Receiving Grade amongst all WR’s – as a rookie.

Deebo Samuel was the only WR who averaged more YAC/reception than Rice (8.3 YAC/reception) in 2023.

Rice was also 14th in the NFL with 12 missed tackles forced.

& he was even better in YR2…

Rashee Rice came out of the gates HOT in 2024.

Through the first 3 games, Rice posted:

• 7/103 on 9 targets (17.3 fantasy points)
• 5/75/1 on 6 targets (18.5 fantasy points)
• 12/110/1 on 14 targets (29.1 fantasy points)

Rice posted 24/288/2 on 29 targets through the first 3 weeks – a pace of over 135 receptions, 1,600 yards, & double-digit TD’s.

He broke 8 tackles on just 24 receptions.

& was the WR3 in PPG (21.6 PPG) before suffering a season-ending injury in WK4.

Rice’s YR2 peripherals were also elite (3.16 YPRR, 85.5 PFF Receiving Grade).

& he’ll be returning to one of the league’s best offenses in YR3…

Travis Kelce has announced his return for a 13th NFL season – but he shouldn’t be viewed as a huge threat to Rice’s spot atop the pecking order.

Rice had more than twice as many targets as Kelce (29-12) through WK3 of 2024.

& there have been some signs pointing to Kelce’s decline.

Xavier Worthy – despite flashing in the Super Bowl (8/157/2) – has yet to prove himself as a high-volume target-earner at the NFL level.

Worthy caught 59/638/6 on 98 targets as a rookie & his peripherals were much less inspiring (1.24 YPRR, 65.0 PFF Receiving Grade).

I view Worthy as the “Jameson Williams” of this offense & Rice as the “Amon-Ra St. Brown.”

& if any offense can support multiple receiving options – it’s Patrick Mahomes in KC.

Still – it should be assumed Rashee Rice leads the team *IF HEALTHY*

Which brings us to our next point – Rashee Rice already appears to be pretty damn healthy.

Because his injury happened so early in the season (WK4) – Rice has had extra time to recover.

Rice underwent surgery on his LCL & PLC (not ACL) & according to Andy Reid he’s “expected to be ready” for training camp…

Not just expected to be ready for WK1.

Expected to be ready FOR TRAINING CAMP.

& that suspension everyone’s worried about?

It may not even happen in 2025…

& even if it does – I would assume it’s not more than the 3 games Alvin Kamara got last year after being charged with battery.

It shouldn’t be a massive concern.

The “risk” is also more than priced in.

If we get even 75% of Rice’s 2024 production (21.6 PPG) – that’s still 16.2 PPG, which would’ve been WR15 in PPG last year.

If we get 85% of Rice’s 2024 production – that’s 18.3 PPG, which would’ve been WR6 in PPG last year.

Nevermind if we get closer to 90-100% of his 2024 production – which would make him a Top-5 WR in PPG (again).

Rice is currently priced as the WR24 in bestball on Underdog & as the WR15 in Dynasty – via Dynasty Data Lab.

I’m taking my chances all day at that price.

Rice is my 2nd most drafted WR in bestball (24%).

& he’s someone I’m looking to add even more shares of in dynasty.

I think you can argue him as high as 1.02 when ranking him in with this rookie class – getting him for any pick cheaper than that is a smash.

I would also be looking to tier-up from mid-tier WR’s like Rome Odunze, Devonta Smith, Zay Flowers if you can add a late 2 or some 3’s & throw-in players.

Same goes for older WR’s like Terry McLaurin & Tyreek Hill.

I’d also try packaging late 1’s + grease.

If I have 1.10, 2.10, 3.10, 4.10 & can trade those 4 picks for Rice? See ya picks!

& you may be able to get him even cheaper.

BUY. BUY. BUY. BUY. BUY.