Kadarius Toney enters his second season as a Kansas City Chiefs player after the New York Giants traded him at the deadline last year. Injuries were an issue in New York and a big reason why he couldn’t produce the big plays they had envisioned when they drafted him 20th in the 2021 NFL Draft. Let’s discuss the latest regarding Toney’s injury and how fantasy football managers should value him heading into 2023.
UPDATE: On Sunday, September 3, 2023, Chiefs head coach Andy Reid informed the media that Kadarius Toney will play during the NFL season opener against the Detroit Lions.
Chiefs’ HC Andy Reid told reporters that Kadarius Toney, who missed much of camp with a lingering knee injury, is “good to go” for Week 1 vs. the Lions.
— Adam Schefter (@AdamSchefter) September 3, 2023
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What Happened to Kadarius Toney?
Toney played in seven games last year for the Chiefs, scoring two touchdowns in the regular season. He had a season-high four catches and 71 yards in a game against the Broncos last year. In the playoffs, he had five catches against the Jaguars, and then the two monster plays in the Super Bowl.
The dynamic WR suffered a knee injury in the opening practice of training camp for the Chiefs. He’s been sidelined since that point.
However, GM Brett Veach recently told the media he is optimistic that Toney will be in action against the Lions.
#Chiefs general manager Brett Veach on Kadarius Toney and L'Jarius Sneed. pic.twitter.com/X4zc64Tbwc
— Nick Jacobs (@Jacobs71) August 30, 2023
What Are Kansas City’s Options If Toney Misses Time?
Regardless on Toney’s health, best-case scenario he is the No. 2 option behind Travis Kelce. The Chiefs have a plethora of wide receivers, as they kept seven of them on the original 53-man roster.
MORE: 2023 Dynasty WR Rankings
Second-year receiver Skyy Moore is expected to take a big step in Year 2, and other guys like Justyn Ross and Rashee Rice figure to see the ball a lot as well. Moore is ranked as the WR49 in PFN’s Consensus Rankings.
What Does This Mean for Toney’s Fantasy Ranking?
Toney currently sits at WR54 in the PFN Consensus Rankings — a late-round or post-draft pick-up. It is still unknown on whether or not he is going to play, and injuries have been an issue throughout his career.
There is no denying the big-play ability of Toney, but his consistency is tough to count on him in fantasy. With Patrick Mahomes so willing to share the ball with anybody, he will have some games with a lot of targets and some with almost nil.
It is tough to count on any Chiefs player not named Travis Kelce in fantasy. If you are dealing with bye issues or injuries, Toney could be a nice one-week fill-in type of player.