Who Should I Start? Travis Kelce or Sam LaPorta

Monday, February 9, 10:27 AM

The Kansas City Chiefs want impending free-agent tight end Travis Kelce back in 2026 if he decides to play for another season, sources told Ian Rapoport of the NFL Network. Kelce has not made a firm decision on his playing future, but reports over the weekend suggest that he could be leaning toward playing another season. The 36-year-old 11-time Pro Bowler and four-time first-team All-Pro caught 76 of his 108 targets for 851 yards and five touchdowns in his 17 starts in 2025 in his 13th year in the league. Although Kelce finished under 1,000 receiving yards for the third straight season, he still managed to finish as the TE4 in half-PPR scoring, and he should remain a favorite target of quarterback Patrick Mahomes (knee) in 2026 if he comes back. Kelce is long in the tooth, but he should stay in TE1 territory in fantasy football next season if he returns, especially considering the team has multiple receivers that will hit the free-agent market.

Saturday, January 31, 11:47 AM

Detroit Lions tight end Sam LaPorta was on a 17-game pace of 76 receptions for 924 yards and six touchdowns before a back injury prematurely ended his season. Expected to be healthy for the 2026 season, LaPorta should see heavy involvement in new offensive coordinator Drew Petzing's tight end-friendly system. With Petzing calling plays in Arizona for the past three seasons, Cardinals tight end Trey McBride has emerged as a fantasy superstar. While target competition in Detroit will be significantly stronger than McBride faced in the desert, LaPorta already has a TE1 season under his belt and is an obvious dynasty buy until his market recovers to its pre-injury form.