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The biggest question fantasy managers had to answer last season was how high is too high to select a tight end. Kansas City Chiefs tight end Travis Kelce was the clear TE1 in fantasy heading into the 2023 season and was often drafted in the first round of fantasy drafts.
However, Kelce did not finish as the TE1 last season, thanks to the breakout of rookie tight end Sam LaPorta. LaPorta averaged 14.1 PPR fantasy points per game in 2023 and finished as the number one overall tight end.
So, is Kelce or LaPorta the TE1 in 2024 fantasy football? Let's dive in and find out.
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Travis Kelce 2023 Fantasy Football Recap
It was a disappointing year for Kelce in his 11th NFL season after failing to reach the 1,000-yard receiving mark for the first time since 2015. The 34-year-old tight end caught 93 passes for 984 yards and five touchdowns last year while finishing as the TE3 in fantasy.
Will Travis Kelce be the first TE drafted in fantasy drafts this year?
Or is his reign over 👀 pic.twitter.com/OJaaxEICFv
— Walter 👋🤖 (@WalterPicksApp) May 8, 2024
Kelce was one of the biggest busts in the first round of drafts last year, especially considering his lack of production toward the end of the season. He only averaged 7.3 PPR fantasy points per game during the fantasy playoffs (Week 15 to Week 17). In a year where the Chiefs' wide receiver room struggled, Kelce was not as consistent as fantasy managers would have liked in 2023.
Sam LaPorta 2023 Fantasy Football Recap
Most of the time, fantasy managers should take training camp news with a grain of salt. However, if you listened to the reports on LaPorta before the season and selected him in the draft because of it, you got a steal in the late rounds. The rookie caught 86 passes for 889 yards and 10 touchdowns in Year 1 while finishing as the TE1.
Sam LaPorta's 239.3 PPR points scored were the most ever by a rookie TE in NFL history – by a 38.5 point margin
That would have been the 12th-best rookie season by a WR
Most fantasy points scored by a rookie WR/TE all-time:
1. Randy Moss 306.7
2. Ja'Marr Chase 304.6
3. Puka…— Graham Barfield (@GrahamBarfield) May 9, 2024
What LaPorta was able to do as a rookie doesn't happen very often. His 86 catches were the most by a first-year tight end in NFL history, and his 889 receiving was the fourth-most all-time. He also became a reliable fantasy option throughout the season with 10 games of at least 11 PPR fantasy points.
Is Travis Kelce or Sam LaPorta The TE1?
It's hard not to go with LaPorta as the overall TE1 in 2024. He is coming off a season in which he scored the most fantasy points as a rookie tight end. Now, in his second year, the sky is the limit for the Lions playmaker. He should see even more involvement on offense and remain a go-to target for Jared Goff in the passing game.
As for Kelce, he is likely the TE2 behind LaPorta in fantasy this year. Despite his down year in 2023, the veteran tight end showed he still has plenty left in the tank when he totaled at least five catches and 70 yards in all four postseason games. He should once again be Patrick Mahomes' top option in the passing game in 2024.
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