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Should you draft your favorite KC Chiefs in fantasy football?

By Lyle Graversen

KANSAS CITY, MISSOURI - NOVEMBER 01: Patrick Mahomes #15 of the Kansas City Chiefs jokes with Clyde Edwards-Helaire #25 on the sidelines during their NFL game against the New York Jets at Arrowhead Stadium on November 01, 2020 in Kansas City, Missouri. (Photo by Jamie Squire/Getty Images)
KANSAS CITY, MISSOURI - NOVEMBER 01: Patrick Mahomes #15 of the Kansas City Chiefs jokes with Clyde Edwards-Helaire #25 on the sidelines during their NFL game against the New York Jets at Arrowhead Stadium on November 01, 2020 in Kansas City, Missouri. (Photo by Jamie Squire/Getty Images) /
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TAMPA, FLORIDA – FEBRUARY 07: Travis Kelce #87 of the Kansas City Chiefs warms up prior to a game against the Tampa Bay Buccaneers in Super Bowl LV at Raymond James Stadium on February 07, 2021 in Tampa, Florida. (Photo by Patrick Smith/Getty Images)
TAMPA, FLORIDA – FEBRUARY 07: Travis Kelce #87 of the Kansas City Chiefs warms up prior to a game against the Tampa Bay Buccaneers in Super Bowl LV at Raymond James Stadium on February 07, 2021 in Tampa, Florida. (Photo by Patrick Smith/Getty Images) /

The case for Travis Kelce in the first round

If you are just a casual fantasy football fan you may think I’m crazy for telling you not to target Patrick Mahomes in the first round of your draft, but that you could consider taking Travis Kelce. Hear me out on this one because the logic is actually very similar. It’s all about position scarcity. The reason for not drafting Mahomes in the first round is because you can find plenty of solid quarterback options later in the draft. The opposite is true of tight end. There are a handful of elite tight ends and then things drop off pretty quickly.

Last season Travis Kelce put up 105 receptions, 1,416 yards, and 11 touchdowns. Those numbers would have made him one of the top scoring wide receivers in fantasy football in almost any scoring system. Meanwhile, the tight ends that finished in the 10-12 range in fantasy scoring last season were putting up less than half of that production. That is a HUGE scoring advantage for your team. The idea here is that Kelce will put up numbers matching those of many top wide receivers and the receiver that you can get later on will out produce most other teams starting tight ends.

For example, if I draft Travis Kelce in the late first round and the next manager follows by taking Deandre Hopkins as his top receiver, their stats should be comparable. Then he waits and finally fills his starting tight end spot in the mid rounds at the same time you fill your last wide receiver spot, the receivers taken in that range typically out produce the tight ends by a reliable margin.

The down side of taking Kelce in the first round is that you are now behind in filling out your running backs and wide receivers. In my opinion, you should only consider taking Kelce in the first round if you are comfortable waiting on your quarterback until after the 5th round. That way you can hopefully get a couple of solid running backs and wide receivers in rounds 2-5 to fill out your roster. That way you aren’t losing the advantage you gained at tight end by having a gaping hole at one of your starting running back or wideout spots. Remember, you can still get a quality starting quarterback in the mid rounds of most drafts.

Next up, let’s talk about the Chiefs running back.

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