DeAndre Hopkins

Chiefs head coach Andy Reid said, “Why wait,” when asked about the possibility of DeAndre Hopkins playing in Week 8 against the Raiders.

That settles it. Underdog’s James Palmer reported on Wednesday that the “plan” was for Hopkins to play in Week 8 against the Raiders, but Reid’s quote on Thursday all but solidifies said plan. The recently acquired receiver, who has caught 15 passes for 173 yards and one touchdown this season now gets an immediate quarterback upgrade in Patrick Mahomes, and should work his way in as the Chiefs’ WR1 once he’s fully acclimated to the offense. Fantasy managers should temper expectations for Hopkins this week, but he’s still worth a WR4/FLEX play.