Week 9 at Dallas Cowboys
Travis Kelce continued his odd dominance over the Broncos with a 133-yard game last week. Kelce had practically all of Alex Smith's passing yards (133/202) as he hauled in 7-of-10 targets. Oh yeah, and he scored a touchdown. Kelce has had a few down games this season, but he still leads all tight ends in receptions (44) and yards (556).
He's one of the few players at this position you can rely on every week. He should be a good option again in Week 9 as he gets a decent matchup against the Cowboys. Dallas has been fairly tough against the position this season but hasn't exactly faced a tight end like Kelce yet. He should be viewed as a TE1 play this week.
Week 8 vs. Denver Broncos
Travis Kelce didn't do much last week in terms of yards (4-33), but he did finish with a touchdown, giving him a solid fantasy performance. Kelce has had some big performances this season, and he's only really had one bad game.
This week he gets a tough matchup against the Broncos, although this team wasn't tough for him a year ago. He had two of his biggest games of the 2016 season against Denver, going over 100 yards in both.
Considering how shallow the tight end position is, Kelce should be viewed as a strong TE1 every week.
Week 7 at Oakland Raiders
Travis Kelce didn’t do well last week, catching 4 passes for 37 yards. His performance came in a tough outing against the Steelers where the entire Chiefs offense struggled to find production. He should get back on track this week in a solid matchup against the Raiders.
Oakland has given up 50 or more yards to the tight end position four times this season (out of six games), including a 100-yard effort last week. Kelce is one of the best at what he does, and he should have a standout game this week. He should be viewed as a strong TE1.
Week 6 vs. Pittsburgh Steelers
Travis Kelce fell just two yards shy of his third 100-yard game this season. There are few tight ends in football as reliable as Kelce has been in 2017. He had an odd one-catch, one-yard game, but for the most part he's been one of the best at his position.
He gets a tough matchup this week against the Steelers, but we won't worry too much about that. The tight end position is so shallow that it'd be foolish to start anyone over Kelce. He's a clear TE1 play this week, even in a bad matchup.
Week 5 at Houston Texans
Travis Kelce has had an odd season. In his last three games he's had two 100-yard efforts and a one-catch, one-yard game. Knowing Kelce's talent, we can consider the one-yard game a fluke. His 100-yard games are much more common as seven of his last 11 games have gone over that mark.
He gets a favorable matchup this week against the Texans, who gave up a 100-yard game to Gronk earlier this season. Given the shallowness of the tight end position in fantasy and how well Kelce has been for most of the season, it's easy to trust him as a TE1 option this week.
Week 4 vs. Washington
After a huge Week 2 game, Travis Kelce was barely used in Week 3. The talented tight end was only targeted once and finished with 1 catch for 1 yard. The main reason for Kelce's poor performance was how the game unfolded as the Chiefs got an early lead and relied on Kareem Hunt.
Kelce doesn't get a good matchup this week, but it's not worth stressing about. He's still one of the best tight ends in the league and should be viewed as a TE1 this week. He'll have a few down weeks here and there, but his ceiling makes him worth playing in fantasy.
Week 3 at Los Angeles Chargers
Travis Kelce showed last week why he's one of the best tight ends in football. He finished with 103 of Alex Smith's 251 passing yards. He had 10 targets in the game, catching 8 of them, and also finished with a touchdown. Kelce is Smith's favorite option in this offense, and he should be viewed as a TE1 every week when healthy.
Week 2 vs. Philadelphia Eagles
Travis Kelce didn't have a monster game last game, but he was looked at a lot in the offense. He finished with 7 targets, catching 5 passes for 40 yards. It's not the game fantasy owners wanted out of Kelce, but the fact he was second on the team in targets is encouraging.
Kelce isn't always going to go off for 100 yards, but he's easily one of the best players at this shallow fantasy position. He doesn't get a great matchup this week against the Eagles, but he should still be viewed as a strong TE1.
Week 1 vs. New England Patriots
Travis Kelce finally had a breakout season in 2016. He had played well in the previous two seasons, but last year is when we saw him take that next step. He should be able to continue that success in 2017, but don't expect the world in Week 1.
Kelce faces a tough Patriots defense in the season opener. New England allowed just three touchdowns last season to the position, although to be fair to Kelce, touchdowns aren't his strong suit. Kelce relies on catching multiple passes throughout a game, and since he should see plenty of targets, that makes him a safe play.
Kelce is too talented to leave on the bench, even though it's a bad matchup. Kelce is a must-start TE1 play against the Patriots.
Player Upside
Travis Kelce finished last season as the top scoring fantasy tight end after a career-year. He played in all 16 games and ended up with 85 receptions for 1,125 yards and 4 touchdowns. He led all tight ends in yards, mostly due to his ability to make big plays, leading his position with 13 plays of 20+ yards.
He had an insane stretch to end the season, recording five 100-yard performances in a six-game stretch. He’s also one of the highest targeted tight ends, finishing second at his position in receptions (85 catches to Dennis Pitta's 86). There’s no reason Kelce shouldn’t continue to be a dominant force in this offense, especially with the departure of Jeremy Maclin at receiver.
Player Downside
While Kelce had a strong stretch of games, his performances outside of that period wasn't as glamorous. He had seven games under 45 receiving yards and his four scores were a career-low. He also plays in an offense that typically doesn’t put up big numbers in the passing game. That’s part of the reason for Kelce's low production.
2017 Bottom Line
Overall, Kelce should be viewed as one of the best tight end options this season. He should be due for another big season as he’s one of the main focal points of the Kansas City offense with Maclin no longer in the picture. Expect plenty of targets every week headed towards Kelce’s direction.
Considering the tight end position is pretty shallow, Kelce should be gone within the first three rounds of most drafts.
