Nothing quite like an injury just before game day huh?
If you’re here reading this (hi Mom!) this means you also drafted Kelce in the first round of your fantasy football draft and are scrambling to figure out a replacement. The tight end landscape is rough out there on the waiver wire. There are a ton of players with a whole slew of question marks surrounding them, making them undrafted in the first place. But if your premier tight end is going to miss time it’s incredibly important to field someone, or at the very least, be prepared heading into tonight’s action. Travis Kelce may be out, but you could salvage your fantasy week by scooping up one of these guys off waivers.
Oh and I should mention, you really only need one of these options. Don’t feel like you need to grab them all.
The safest and most logical option for Kelce owners is to grab his direct backup, Noah Gray. Sadly Gray is not Travis Kelce when it comes to pure-playmaking ability, but it might not matter when Patrick Mahomes is throwing the ball. Gray should be taking over that Kelce role in the offense, and if the game plan was to feature Kelce heavily, Gray should be the recipient of all those targets.
[Related: Now is the Time to Stash Sean Tucker]
The Kansas City Chiefs look as though they are bringing all of their wide outs to Thursday’s opener, meaning there isn’t likely one top option for targets amongst any of the pass catchers. In a last minute scramble to find a worthwhile fantasy option, Noah Gray just may be the next man up for KC. He’s currently rostered in just 5% of ESPN leagues, meaning he is most likely available in your league.
Luke Musgrave is one of the many rookie tight ends that should find a meaningful role this season. He’s sprung to the top of the depth chart thanks to his pure athleticism and route-running ability. If new quarterback Jordan Love proves to be anywhere close to good, Musgrave could have a big fantasy football debut. NFC North battles always prove to be fun games, so at the very least picking up Musgrave gives you one more reason to watch the Packers take on Chicago.
On the other side of the field from Noah Gray is Sam LaPorta of the Detroit Lions. Another rookie tight end, LaPorta is poised to start for Detroit and will most likely be a weapon Jared Goff will need to use. All eyes will be on stud wide out Amon-Ra St. Brown of Detroit as he serves as the Lions top pass catcher. With defenses zeroing in on St. Brown, LaPorta could be a go-to option each and every drive. LaPorta beat out the otherwise middling Lions tight end group and will hopefully make a splash in his first NFL start.
As someone who isn’t super sold on the Pats as a fantasy contributor, Hunter Henry could very much make me eat my own words. He’s found a great connection with Mac Jones in the past which has made him lethal in the red zone. Henry is a touchdown-dependent play more-so than the other guys on this list. That said, he could very well end up with two TDs. This Bill O’Brien offense could surprise a lot of us. Or the Eagles defense will prove to be elite once again.
Sometimes it’s best to bet on a great offense to find a worth replacement for an injured stud. That’s why I believe in guys like Noah Gray and Tyler Conklin. Conklin was semi-relevant last year with the revolving door of quarterbacks in New York and now can be even more interesting with Aaron Rodgers at the helm. There are a lot of mouths to feed in New York, and it’s tough to say how much of a connection Rodgers and Conklin have made during the preseason. The one hope is that the New York offensive line is terrible, and forces Rodgers to hit the short throws to the tight end more often than not. Luckily the Jets play on Monday night, so Conklin can serve as your “absolute last resort”.
There you go mom, now you can stop spamming the family group chat.
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Featured Image Courtesy of Mikayla Schmidt and the Kansas City Chiefs
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