Quick, name me the player that listed as the starting wideout opposite Jeremy Maclin prior to the 2015 NFL Draft. If you said Albert Wilson, then I want to know what browser you used to do your Google search.
This little exercise emphasizes two things. First, that Chris Conley has a clear path to the number-two receiver spot behind Jeremy Maclin. And second, that for fantasy football purposes it probably doesn't matter.
While I have no doubt that Conley is a talented wide receiver with immense athletic ability who should easily earn a starting spot on this Chiefs team, my concern is that the volume just won't be there.
Last year, no Chiefs wideout managed to catch a single touchdown pass all season. Beyond this, the second leading wide receiver for the Chiefs behind Dwayne Bowe was Albert Wilson with 16 receptions for 260 yards. And last season wasn't an isolated case. Indeed, on no team on which Alex Smith has served as the starting quarterback for the entire season has a number two wideout ever received more than 71 targets (Donnie Avery had 71 targets for 40 receptions in 2013).
However, fantasy football managers should be wise not to turn a blind eye to Conley either. Those drafting Maclin in the middle rounds of this year's draft may want to keep tabs on Conley as a pseudo-handcuff option, because should anything happen to Maclin -- who has been anything but a pillar of health throughout his short NFL career -- Conley should emerge as the receiver to own in Kansas City.