Who Should I Start? Travis Kelce or T.J. Hockenson

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 12, 8:02 AM

Minnesota Vikings tight end T.J. Hockenson had an underwhelming season as the team endured poor quarterback play and inconsistency at the position. Hockenson played 15 games in 2025, starting all of them. He caught 51 passes for 438 yards and three touchdowns, posting the lowest receiving yards total and fantasy points per game mark since he was a rookie. He ultimately finished as the overall TE26 in full-PPR leagues. Although it's fair to blame the trio of J.J. McCarthy, Carson Wentz, and Max Brosmer for Hockenson's frustrating year, that doesn't mean he'll magically bounce back in 2026. McCarthy is due back as the Vikings' quarterback next season. Interestingly, Hockenson also struggled with Sam Darnold as his quarterback in 2024, so he really hasn't been a trustworthy fantasy tight end since Kirk Cousins quarterbacked the Vikings in 2023. Hockenson is under contract for two more years, but the Vikings have a potential out this offseason. If Minnesota releases Hockenson post-June 1, they would create $15.96 million in cap space while taking on $5.34 million in dead money. It certainly wouldn't hurt the Vikings to keep the veteran tight end to help support McCarthy's development, but we also wouldn't be surprised to see the team's next general manager capitalize on this opportunity to create cap space.