Seven Targets, Seven Catches: Xavier Worthy Stepped Up as the Chiefs' WR1

Chiefs Kingdom, with Rashee Rice on the sideline, somebody had to be WR1 on Sunday. Xavier Worthy took the job and didn't drop a thing.

Worthy caught all seven of his targets for 73 yards in the 22-6 win over the Chargers, per RotoWire, and led the Chiefs in targets. FFToday's usage notes have him on the field for 82.5% of the offensive snaps, ahead of Jalen Royals (77.2%) and Andrew Armstrong (68.4%). Arrowhead Pride counted 51 snaps for Worthy, the most of any Chiefs receiver.

Our Take: Seven-for-seven is exactly what this offense needs from him right now. Kenneth Walker is carrying the load on the ground, so the passing game doesn't need fireworks every week. It needs a receiver Patrick Mahomes can trust on every snap, and Worthy was that guy. Rice was inactive with a hamstring injury, and Worthy's catches were mostly quick ones near the line of scrimmage. That's fine. Moving the chains keeps Walker fresh and keeps the defense honest.

Credit Armstrong too. Arrowhead Pride notes the second-year receiver made his first career start after being elevated from the practice squad, and his blocking showed up on the run plays.

What to watch: whether Rice is back for Seattle on Sunday night. If he isn't, Worthy is the No. 1 again, and a Seahawks defense that has been tough on the run will make Mahomes beat it through the air.

Sources: RotoWire, FFToday, Arrowhead Pride, The Football Database