Kadarius Toney had an up-and-down career in New York. After being lightly used in his Kansas City Chiefs debut, he played a major role in Week 10 against the Jacksonville Jaguars. There were questions about the Chiefs ability to keep up with the best of the best of the AFC. Do they miss Tyreek Hill? Is Toney the answer?
Kadarius Toney: Just What the Doctor Ordered
Toney’s First Full Snap Count
In Week 9, Kansas City eased in the addition of Kadarius Toney. He was coming off of a hamstring injury and the trade did not give him enough time to understand the playbook. But what a difference a week can make. After playing in just 9% of the snaps last week, Toney played the majority of the game on Sunday. In his first full game, Toney posted five targets for four receptions, 57 yards, and a touchdown. The Chiefs also got creative and gave their new acquisition two carries for 33 yards. It seems that everything this offense was missing can be answered by the former first-round pick.
Kadarius Toney out here toying with some of the best athletes in the world lmao pic.twitter.com/pO5DQricUT
— Mike Renner (@mikerenner_) November 13, 2022
Kadarius Toney was not a good fit in New York. Plain and simple. He was never able to stay on the field and was not drafted by the current coaching staff. Certainly, Wan’Dale Robinson looks like a replacement for Toney, and New York would rather rely on Saquon Barkley’s legs than Toney’s lightning feet. At the trade deadline, New York shipped away Toney for a third and a sixth in the upcoming NFL draft. This is already looking like an underpay.
Toney’s Fantasy Outlook
This is just one week, and Toney already looks like a league winner. An early touchdown, lightning moves, and fantasy experts will tell you volume is king. Just watching the game Toney looks like a key cog in this offense and brings an explosiveness that every other receiver dreams of attaining. In the games where Toney has played over 50 percent of snaps, he averages 10.77 points. When you take into account that seven of those games were in a historically bad offense, Toney is a must-hold in any format, especially with Juju Smith-Schuster possibly sidelined.
In redraft for the rest of the year, start Toney every week. ESPN and Yahoo projections will make it look gross, but let’s treat fantasy like Conor McGregor treats the UFC. “I’m not here to take part I’m here to take over”. No one is going to take over your fantasy league like Toney. Next Gen Stats does an athleticism score from 1-100. Toney is a 99. Andy Reid has made the AARP-eligible Travis Kelce the TE 1 or 2 every year since 2016. Accordingly, fantasy owners should be chomping at the bit to see what is in store for Toney.
Toney Dynasty Outlook
There have been some buy lows and sell highs, but Toney somehow tops both lists. The Toney owner right now is used to the New York Toney where he was never on the field and was used like a budget Devin Duvernay. Now he is a prime piece, on an even more prime offense. Plus he is only 23. If you are buying, offer a late first. Honestly, I might bite for anywhere from the 6-12 in a 12-team league.
When you’re looking at draft picks, you’re looking for measurables, film, and situations. Athleticism scores off the chart? Check. Can make world-class athletes look like your local beer league hockey team? Check. There is no better situation than the Kansas City offense with no clear number-one receiver and some guy named Patrick Mahomes at the helm.
That settles it. Offer a first. Any first outside of the top three (unless it’s superflex, then five depending on how you feel about the quarterbacks). Maybe a first and a second. At the same time, as the current Toney owner, you should ride the wave. Someone in your league could offer multiple firsts for someone with two good games. His value is somewhere between the single first and the multiple firsts, but rebuilding teams should try and buy him cheaper or sell him expensive. As we look at the Toney dynasty outlook, he may be the most interesting player in all of football.
