Pat Kerrane argued that seventh-round rookie Brashard Smith is quietly being trained to replace Jerick McKinnon in Kansas City’s high-value passing-down role, making him an ideal dart in the final rounds of best-ball drafts. Smith has already taken reps with the first team and is expected to make the roster as a kick returner—the same path Isiah Pacheco followed as a rookie. The Chiefs tried and failed to fill the receiving-back job with Samaje Perine last year, and neither Pacheco nor veteran tryout Kareem Hunt fits that skill set. Kerrane added that Elijah Mitchell “hasn’t looked explosive” and could even be cut, further clearing Smith’s path. If Smith locks down the two-minute and red-zone routes that fueled McKinnon’s late-season spike weeks in 2022, he could become a playoff winner despite minimal early-season usage. At his near-free price after Round 18, Kerrane views Smith as an asymmetric upside bet with almost no downside.

Chris Raybon grabbed seventh-rounder Brashard Smith at RB65, comparing his path to 2022 surprise Isiah Pacheco. Camp reports say Smith has already carved out a role despite a crowded Kansas City backfield, and Raybon expects his ADP to climb all summer. The rookie’s burst and receiving chops fit Andy Reid’s offense, giving him multiple avenues to finish inside the top 50 backs and pay off handsomely in best-ball builds.

Sam Monson flagged seventh-round pick Brashard Smith as a name to stash in season-long and best-ball formats. Smith converted from college wide receiver to running back at SMU, giving him natural hands and route nuance that Monson believes make him an ideal third-down fit in Andy Reid’s offense. With the depth chart behind Isiah Pacheco unsettled and Kansas City historically willing to elevate late-round backs (see Darrel Williams and Isaiah Pacheco himself), Monson said Smith could "pretty quickly carve a significant role" and potentially grow beyond a passing-down specialist because of his youth at the position and open-field elusiveness.

Calling him “truly free” at a 212 DraftKings ADP, Pat Kerrane spotlighted Brashard Smith as an upside dart. The ex-wideout racked up 235-1,332-14 rushing plus 39-327-4 receiving at SMU and averaged 24.4 yards on 49 kick returns, giving him multiple avenues onto the 53-man roster. At 194 lbs with a 1.69 YPRR in 2024, Smith offers the explosive juice Kansas City’s plodding backfield lacked last year. Kerrane’s camp checklist: beat out Eli Mitchell for RB3, flash in the return game to guarantee Sunday actives, and keep pressure on Isiah Pacheco and Kareem Hunt. If two of those three happen, Andy Reid could scheme Smith into high-leverage pass snaps by mid-season. The downside is a practice-squad stash, but at pick 200-plus that risk is acceptable given the tantalizing ceiling of an every-down role tethered to Patrick Mahomes.

Although Andy Reid complimented Brashard Smith’s route running and speed, Overzet is pumping the brakes on the Round 7 rookie (ADP 201.1, Super Model 65). Kansas City historically slow-plays rookies and Smith sits behind Isiah Pacheco, Kareem Hunt and Elijah Mitchell for early-down work. The best-case path is a vacated Samaje Perine-style receiving role, but Overzet fears Smith will deliver zeros for most of the season. He already owns 8.4 % (largely via co-managed drafts) and plans to stop clicking the name until clearer preseason usage emerges.

Davis Mattek explained why he pivoted to Brashard Smith instead of taking a 10th wide receiver in Underdog’s Best Ball Mania. Mattek said Rich Rebar ‘gave him permission’ to start clicking Smith and that the rookie handcuff offers a much higher payoff than the dusty WRs left on the board. His logic: 28-year-old Joe Mixon is an obvious injury candidate, and there is a non-zero chance second-year Chase Brown simply face-plants. If either scenario hits, Smith could suddenly step into a touchdown-rich workload in half-PPR scoring—upside you will never get from a waiver-wire tier wideout. Mattek urged drafters to sprinkle Smith into their hyper-fragile builds as an inexpensive out that can tilt playoff weeks.

Sam Monson argued that seventh-rounder Brashard Smith could become much more than a gadget back for Kansas City. The former SMU wide receiver has only one collegiate season at running back but already flashes every-down traits: soft natural hands, 4.38-speed verified at his pro day, and the lateral quickness to exploit Andy Reid’s jet-sweep and misdirection packages. Monson noted film where the 195-pound Smith lowered his pads and ran over a 235-pound Duke linebacker, evidence that he can finish inside rather than just bounce plays outside. With Isaiah Pacheco entering year three and Kansas City lacking a true passing-down specialist, Monson sees Smith carving out a third-down role early with room to grow into 30–40% snap share if injuries strike. Deep-league season-long managers and best-ball players should take free-square exposure now before preseason hype builds.