Xavier Worthy fantasy football outlook for 2024: Is Chiefs WR a safe pick this year?

Xavier Worthy was selected by the Kansas City Chiefs in the 2024 NFL Draft to give their elite offense yet another weapon. The wide receiver became one of the most desirable prospects in the draft this year by running the fastest 40-yard dash time in NFL Combine history. The Chiefs often target speedy receivers, so the pairing makes sense.

Rookies often come with more risk than other players in their position for fantasy football. Worthy certainly qualifies as a risky option, but he also has significantly more upside than many other rookies this season. Here's where his fantasy football outlook currently stands.

Breaking down Xavier Worthy's fantasy football outlook for 2024

Xavier Worthy

Xavier Worthy spent all three seasons of his college football career with the Texas Longhorns as a starting wide receiver. He was productive in all three of them, totaling 197 receptions for 2,755 yards and 26 touchdowns. This includes career-highs of 75 receptions and 1,014 yards in his final season, despite sharing targets with Adonai Mitchell, another coveted wide receiver prospect in the 2024 NFL Draft.

Worthy was already a desirable option ahead of the draft, but his stock significantly increased when he ran a 4.21 40-yard dash at the NFL Combine, setting a new overall record. Considering the Kansas City Chiefs' strategy of rostering speedy players at the position, they landed him early in the draft to give Patrick Mahomes another weapon to work with.

The risk with Worthy in fantasy football is the unknown of where he will fall on the target hierarchy as the Chiefs often rotate their wide receivers. They also added Hollywood Brown during the offseason, so Worthy will have some competition for playing time. His elite speed and playing in such a high-powered offense still gives him plenty of upside, especially if Rashee Rice faces a lengthy suspension.

Where should you draft Xavier Worthy this year?

Xavier Worthy will likely be a popular mid-round target in Dynasty fantasy football leagues due to his massive upside and extremely favorable situation on the Chiefs. He will carry significantly more risk in traditional season-long formats due to his unknown role this year, but his ceiling is surely worth a shot in the mid-to-late rounds of fantasy drafts.

Using Sportskeeda's Who Should I Draft tool can give managers a better idea of when to target Worthy in real-time during the course of their drafts. Managers can plug him along with the other available options when they are on the clock to compare his projections to the other possible picks. This will create a more informed decision, and ultimately, a stronger overall roster.