Chiefs midseason stock check: Emmett Johnson rising, Butker and the line slipping

The Kansas City Chiefs reach the middle of the season on a two-game skid, and the roster is splitting into players who are earning bigger roles and players who are costing the team. Matt Stagner's midseason stock report at Arrowhead Pride, the SB Nation site, puts rookie running back Emmett Johnson at the top of the risers. Kicker Harrison Butker, receiver Xavier Worthy and offensive line coach Andy Heck are near the bottom.

Johnson was the main reason the 28-24 loss in Denver stayed close. Chiefs Wire reported that the fifth-round pick put up 143 scrimmage yards, 128 of them on five catches, and a touchdown, which earned him the league's Pepsi Rookie of the Week award for Week 8. Stagner called Johnson "elusive, explosive, and high energy" and argued he should now split touches with Ken Walker and get a look as the primary kick returner.

Stagner also has Rashee Rice trending up, even in a difficult week off the field. Arrowhead Pride's news roundup noted Thursday's report that Rice has filed for bankruptcy, with free agency coming in 2027. On the field, Stagner still sees the team's top receiver as Patrick Mahomes' most dependable yards-after-catch option. He also flagged rookie edge rusher R Mason Thomas. Thomas leads the team in pressure rate, but his snap share has dropped over the last two games, and those were the two games where the pass rush struggled.

The fallers point to the problems behind the skid. Butker has missed more kicks than any other active kicker, and Stagner suggests that bringing in competition is now a realistic option despite his contract. Worthy's breakout has not come, and the column reads the Chiefs' reported interest in the receiver trade market as a bad sign for him. The offensive line remains the biggest problem: penalties, thin depth, errant snaps from Creed Humphrey, and protection that Andy Reid himself blamed for short-yardage failures and a missed field goal. Stagner's sleeper ideas address the same issues: fullback Ben VanSumeren and Justin Fields for short-yardage and goal-line snaps, and newly signed Jacob De Jesus as a punt returner.

What it means against the Jets

Kansas City is 5-2 after starting 5-0. The two losses came on the road: 20-3 at Seattle and 28-24 at Denver. The offense scored 27 points across those two games after averaging 28 points during the winning streak. The Chiefs are 3-0 at Arrowhead this season, with wins over Denver, Indianapolis and the Chargers, and they host the New York Jets on Sunday, November 8, on CBS.

Across the 12 venues on this site's board, the Chiefs are heavily favored. Novig has Kansas City at -456 on the moneyline. The best Chiefs price anywhere is -439 on Polymarket, and sportsbook hold runs from 4.0% to 5.7%. Novig sets the spread at Chiefs -9.5, with the Jets at +104. BetRivers has the Jets at +10 for -108. The total is 48.5 on Novig and 47.5 at FanDuel, so the venues differ by about a point on both the spread and the total.

Next up is a trip to Atlanta on November 15, where Kansas City is favored at -190 on Novig and -170 at DraftKings. More on the season is on the Chiefs team page.