The Kansas City Chiefs are ranked No. 1 in ESPN's Football Power Index ahead of the 2020 NFL season. With no preseason games this year amid the coronavirus pandemic, Week 1 is the first time we'll see new acquisitions and rookies for every team. Week 1 will also give us the first NFL games since Super Bowl LIV in February, when the Chiefs won their first title in 50 years.
Here's everything you need to know about the Chiefs heading into the season, from the big question to answer and the toughest stretch on their schedule to a bold prediction and potential breakout fantasy football stars.
Full schedule | Roster | Depth chart
The big question: Will RB Clyde Edwards-Helaire make the offense even better?
He will, judging from training camp. He was consistently productive, particularly in the passing game, where he showed reliable hands and the ability to make defenders miss in the open field. The Chiefs didn't get a lot of help from their backs last year until Damien Williams emerged late in the season. So the rookie out of LSU is a logical place for the Chiefs to grow their offensive production.-- Adam Teicher
How the pandemic has most affected the Chiefs
Running back Damien Williams and offensive linemen Laurent Duvernay-Tardif and Lucas Niang opted out of the season, leaving the Chiefs trying to fill some holes on their depth chart. They drafted Edwards-Helaire in the first round and he was impressive in camp. But Williams' departure left the Chiefs without a proven alternative to Edwards-Helaire. Otherwise, the loss of offseason practice and preseason games could be a benefit to the Chiefs. They return 18 of 22 starters and a large number of reserves from Super Bowl LIV. That continuity could be useful in a season with an abbreviated practice window.-- Teicher
Football Power Index projections for the Chiefs
Overall ranking: 1
Offensive ranking: 1
Defensive ranking: 21
Special teams ranking: 24
Total wins: 11.1
AFC West title chances: 80.2%
Chances to make playoffs: 93.5%
Super Bowl chances: 20.9%
2021 draft pick: No. 32
Inside the Chiefs' schedule
FPI's strength of schedule rank: 18
Toughest stretch: The Chiefs will need to be on their game right from the start. They open at home against Deshaun Watson and the Houston Texans, who beat the Chiefs at Arrowhead during the regular season last year. That's followed by a pair of road games, the first against the Chargers and then against Lamar Jackson and the Ravens. A 2-1 record following this stretch will look good, even for the defending Super Bowl champions.
Over or under 11.1 wins? The Chiefs won 12 games in each of their first two seasons with Patrick Mahomes at quarterback. There's no reason to believe they'll dip below that number this season. In a season when continuity should mean more than ever, the Chiefs return 18 of their starters and many key reserves from the Super Bowl. Many of their best players are still young and in the prime of their careers. Plus, they still have Mahomes. Prediction: 12-4. -- Teicher
Bold prediction for 2020: Back-to-back titles
The Chiefs will repeat as Super Bowl champions. They won't get complacent like some other recent title-winning teams. Strong locker room leaders like Mahomes and Tyrann Mathieu showed in training camp that they're still hungry. Many of their best players are still young, including Mahomes (24), Tyreek Hill (26), Chris Jones (26), Frank Clark (27) and Mathieu (28). So there should be no drop-off in play from any of those players. -- Teicher
Breakout fantasy star: Clyde Edwards-Helaire
Edwards-Helaire had the look of an eventual fantasy star even before April's draft. The combination of a perfect landing spot with Andy Reid and Mahomes in Kansas City and the opt out of Williams positions the LSU product well for a run at a rookie season RB1 campaign. Edwards-Helaire isn't super fast and is a bit undersized, but his YAC/forced missed tackle profile is elite and he has excellent receiving chops, having easily led this year's class with 55 catches in 2019. "CEH" should and will be a first-round pick in most 2020 drafts. -- Mike Clay
ADP for the Chiefs' top players:
Clyde Edwards-Helaire: 11.7
Patrick Mahomes: 16.2
Tyreek Hill: 17.6
Travis Kelce: 18.8
Harrison Butker: 101.5
The view from Vegas
Super Bowl odds: 4-1 (opened 4-1)
Over/under: 12
Playoff odds: Yes -1100, No +700
According to Sports Odds History, the Chiefs have hit the over in their win total in each of the past seven seasons, the longest active streak. The 2020 one is sitting at 12, the highest in the NFL. At +400, Kansas City is favored to win back-to-back Super Bowls, the first team to do so since the 2003-04 Patriots. Last year, the Chiefs covered the spread 10 times, tied for second most in the league. -- ESPN Chalk staff
Odds courtesy of Caesars Sportsbook by William Hill.
Where the Chiefs landed in NFL Rank
No. 1: Patrick Mahomes
No. 11: Tyreek Hill
No. 17: Travis Kelce
No. 29: Chris Jones
No. 36: Tyrann Mathieu
No. 72: Mitchell Schwartz
No. 85: Frank Clark