Rookie Profile: Emani Bailey, Running Back, Kansas City Chiefs
Welcome to the Rookie Profile: Emani Bailey, a Running Back from TCU. He is from Denton, Texas, and was a 3-star recruit out of Ryan High School.
Bailey began his collegiate career at Louisiana in the Sun Belt Conference. In 2020 as a freshman he appeared in 5 games. During that limited playing time, he rushed for only 60 yards but did not find his way into the end zone.
In 2021 as a junior he appeared in 11 games for Louisiana and his stats saw an uptick as a result. He rushed for 642 yards and 8 touchdowns while adding in 15 receptions for 153 yards receiving.
He transferred to TCU for his 2022 junior season where he played in 14 games. His production was minimal in his first year with the Horned Frogs as he was behind Kendre Miller for most of the season. He rushed for 250 yards and 2 touchdowns while also contributing 7 receptions for 43 receiving yards.
He closed out his collegiate career at TCU as a senior in 2023 where he appeared in 12 games. He racked up a whopping 1,209 rushing yards and 8 touchdowns. Bailey also chipped in 25 receptions for 184 yards and 1 touchdown, easily the best season of his collegiate career.
Measurables
Draft Capital & Landing Spot
Draft Capital- Undrafted Free Agent Signing
- Bailey was never expected to be an early-round draft pick, but going undrafted is still disappointing. There was enough talent that he should have been selected by the sixth or seventh round.
- An undrafted free agent is never a situation to gravitate toward, but over the past few years, we have seen that it is possible for an undrafted running back to provide a return and become fantasy-relevant. Aside from another Austin Ekeler situation, there likely isn’t much long-term value here in Bailey.
Landing Spot- Kansas City Chiefs
- The Chiefs are far from the perfect landing spot, but they aren’t the worst either. Isiah Pacheco would appear to be the RB1 on the roster, but even his spot on the team is far from guaranteed.
- Even if Pacheco were to once again lead the Chiefs backfield, there is more than enough room for Bailey to win the number two job if he can beat out Clyde Edwards-Helaire and Keaontay Ingram.
Team Depth Chart
Expected Role: Developmental Running Back
Depth Chart via Fantasy Pros
Fantasy Impact
The fantasy impact here is minimal because there wasn’t much value to begin with. Going undrafted is bad, and the landing spot is mediocre. Bailey could find his way into some touches this season, but he is nothing more than a last-round pick or a taxi squad.
Bailey isn’t someone I would be actively looking to draft, but he is someone who will stay on my watch list should the situation present itself for him to earn a sizeable role.
Check out The Fantasy Football Universe Sneak Peek Video of Emani Bailey.
Check out our 2024 Rookie Rankings Page for a full breakdown of this rookie class.
