Buying and selling the Kansas City Chiefs: South Beach edition

Buying: Jamaal Charles

Charles is always in charge. And that pun will always be fresh. The news that Jamaal Charles returned to practice this week surprised most, and that should make Chiefs fans feel better about the upcoming road game in Miami. Charles is listed as questionable but after two days of practice the momentum is trending towards him playing on Sunday.

The fact that the Chiefs are 0-2 and Jamaal Charles has 14 total touches is not a coincidence. Last year, Charles had 18 touches or less in four games and the Chiefs went 1-3. They were 9-1 when Charles received at least 19 touches per game. There's a reason Andy Reid answered questions about the lack of plays for Charles in Week 1. It's a mistake they can't afford to let happen again.

Selling: Defensive impact

Last year, the Kansas City Chiefs finished second overall in turnover differential with +19, second only to the Super Bowl champion Seattle Seahawks. The Chiefs were fourth in the NFL in giveaways with 17 (consider the New York Giants turned it over 40 times last year), and they were second in forced turnovers with 36. That's a far cry from the defensive impact this year where the Chiefs have forced zero turnovers.

Only three teams have yet to force a turnover: the Chiefs, New York Giants, and Pittsburgh Steelers.

Two primary reasons exist for the lack of turnovers: injuries and schedule. It doesn't help a team to lose so many impact defenders, and the Chiefs are particularly soft in the middle. The loss of Derrick Johnson, Joe Mays, Mike DeVito, and Eric Berry have crippled the Chiefs ability to force an opponent into making decisions under duress.

The schedule is also unforgiving. Last year, the Chiefs were beating up on some of the NFL's worst teams to start out with a nine-game winning streak. This year, the Chiefs are facing a much more difficult schedule, and things will get worse before they get better. Quarterbacks like Tom Brady and Russell Wilson are going to make better decisions with the football than Blaine Gabbert, Case Keenum and company.

Selling: DAT impact

Because he isn't playing.

Buying: Dolphins defense

You can't completely overlook the fact that the Buffalo Bills won 29-10 last week over the Dolphins, but E.J. Manuel and company only scored one touchdown in six trips inside the red zone. Yep, those 29 points mostly came from Dan Carpenter field goals and a sweet return by C.J. Spiller. The Dolphins defense was actually quite stout at times, and through two weeks, they're ranked third in the NFL in yards per play allowed (4.5). Only the Lions and Patriots allow fewer yards so far.

Of course two games is a small sample size, but the Fins have done a nice job adding veteran talent and young playmakers to a defense that's largely underrated. The Chiefs are hurting in several places, but Jamaal Charles is back. The Fins will have their hands full, but they've shown the ability to stop a driving team when it counts. It will be interesting to see how the Chiefs attempt to create mismatches on offense and whether the Fins can stop them.

Editor's Note: SB Nation's partner FanDuel is hosting a $350,000 Fantasy Football Contest for Week 3's NFL games. It's only $10 to join and first place wins $30,000. Starts Sunday, September 21st at 1pm ET. Here's the link.