Who Should I Start? Travis Kelce or Chig Okonkwo

Tuesday, February 24, 7:41 AM

Kansas City Chiefs general manager Brett Veach said on Tuesday at the NFL scouting combine that the team is hoping that impending free-agent tight end Travis Kelce returns for a 14th NFL season, according to Nate Taylor of ESPN. At the same time, Veach said the Chiefs are "prepared for either scenario" when discussing Kelce's future. The 36-year-old future Hall of Famer is contemplating retirement for the second straight offseason, but the general feeling is that he will return in 2026. Kelce was still plenty productive last year despite the Chiefs not making the playoffs for the first time in a decade. He finished as the TE4 in half-PPR scoring with 76 receptions on 108 targets for 851 yards and five touchdowns in 17 games played. If Kelce does come back for a 14th season, it will likely be in KC. Durability will continue to be a concern for Kelce near the end of his career, but if he's back next season, he should still be firmly on the TE1 radar in fantasy drafts.

Thursday, February 26, 11:42 AM

Across 17 games in 2025, Tennessee Titans tight end Chig Okonkwo recorded 56 receptions for 560 yards and two touchdowns on 79 targets. The 26-year-old has established himself as a solid real-life player, as he's logged at least 50 catches in three straight seasons and has never missed a game in his NFL career. However, Okonkwo's fantasy upside has never quite materialized, as he's never reached 80 targets or topped three touchdown catches in a season. Okonkwo is now set to hit free agency and could be with a new organization for the first time in 2026. A change of scenery could be a positive development for Okonkwo's fantasy outlook, as Tennessee has fielded a miserable offense overall in recent seasons and also has a rising young tight end in Gunnar Helm. Still, Okonkwo has demonstrated a limited production ceiling to this point in his career, and there's no guarantee he will land in a true TE1 role with a new team. His fantasy value in dynasty formats is slowly declining heading into 2026.