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The Kansas City Chiefs have secured the No. 1 seed in the AFC this season, and are headed to the playoffs with a first-round bye and home-field advantage for the rest of their games (except the Super Bowl, of course). Fantasy football managers who roster some of their key players are probably wondering if they're worth starting.
Kelce has had a disappointing season if you view it through the lens of his past production, but his age and the overall decline of the offense from previous years makes this less surprising. Still, all fantasy managers care about is Week 18, if their leagues have matchups that week, of course.
So is Kelce starting and playing in Week 18, and is he worth starting in fantasy?
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Travis Kelce Fantasy Football Outlook
It doesn't look like he will play much, if at all. NFL Insider Ian Rapoport reported yesterday that Chiefs head coach Andy Reid stated he will start plenty of backups, including quarterback Carson Wentz. This suggests strongly that Kelce won't play.
#Chiefs coach Andy Reid confirms that backup QB Carson Wentz will start on Sunday, as will several other backups.
"It wasn't a hard decision. I've been through it before... It gives the other guys an opportunity to grow."
— Ian Rapoport (@RapSheet) January 1, 2025
Indeed, many major fantasy football platforms such as Sleeper and ESPN have updated his projections to 0.0 points.
Should I Start Travis Kelce in Week 18?
No. There's absolutely no reason to expect him to play. He's 35 years old, and while there's a tiny chance he could see at least a drive of play, it seems nearly impossible that he'll have a major role in the game. He's near the end of his career, and he's nowhere near what he used to be athletically.
Travis Kelce avoiding 4 tackles and carrying #71 into the end zone is just nasty work. 🐐🫡💪pic.twitter.com/iwTExdwajy
— Soulofarrowhead (@Soulofarrowhead) May 27, 2024
There's no doubt that he's the best tight end to ever play the game. But age and first-round byes (okay, maybe just age) come for everyone, and you shouldn't start someone that's expected to play so little, if at all. Perhaps backup TE Noah Gray will get some playing time, but it would be hard to trust him as well.
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