Looking at everyone's top 10 lists for next season in the last Ask the Experts column, I noticed that Travis Kelce appeared in all of them. It's a little surprising, but probably shouldn't be. Over the last few years he's dominated the position like nobody else -- not at tight end, and not at any other position.
Kelce has been the No. 1 fantasy tight end in PPR formats five years in a row. He's had 80-plus catches and over 1,000 yards in all of those years. There aren't a lot of sure things in the world, but Kelce has been pretty close.
The closest other player to dominating the position over the past 30 years, as it happens, also did his best work for Kansas City. In a span of six years from 1999-2004, Tony Gonzalez was fantasy's No. 1 tight end five times. Shannon Sharpe also did it four times in a six-year span. But nobody else has done it five straight years.
NO. 1 FANTASY TIGHT ENDS, 1993-PRESENT | |||||||
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Year | Player | Tgt | No | Yds | TD | FFPts | |
2020 | Travis Kelce, K.C. | 145 | 105 | 1416 | 11 | 314.8 | |
2019 | Travis Kelce, K.C. | 136 | 97 | 1229 | 6 | 256.3 | |
2018 | Travis Kelce, K.C. | 150 | 103 | 1336 | 10 | 296.6 | |
2017 | Travis Kelce, K.C. | 122 | 83 | 1038 | 8 | 235.5 | |
2016 | Travis Kelce, K.C. | 117 | 85 | 1125 | 4 | 223.0 | |
2015 | Rob Gronkowski, N.E. | 120 | 72 | 1176 | 11 | 255.6 | |
2014 | Rob Gronkowski, N.E. | 131 | 82 | 1124 | 12 | 266.4 | |
2013 | Jimmy Graham, N.O. | 142 | 86 | 1215 | 16 | 303.5 | |
2012 | Jimmy Graham, N.O. | 135 | 85 | 982 | 9 | 237.2 | |
2011 | Rob Gronkowski, N.E. | 124 | 90 | 1327 | 18 | 330.9 | |
2010 | Jason Witten, Dall. | 128 | 94 | 1002 | 9 | 250.2 | |
2009 | Dallas Clark, Ind. | 133 | 100 | 1106 | 10 | 271.7 | |
2008 | Tony Gonzalez, K.C. | 155 | 96 | 1058 | 10 | 261.8 | |
2007 | Jason Witten, Dall. | 141 | 96 | 1145 | 7 | 252.5 | |
2006 | Antonio Gates, S.D. | 120 | 71 | 924 | 9 | 217.4 | |
2005 | Antonio Gates, S.D. | 140 | 89 | 1101 | 10 | 259.1 | |
2004 | Tony Gonzalez, K.C. | 148 | 102 | 1258 | 7 | 270.3 | |
2003 | Tony Gonzalez, K.C. | 106 | 71 | 916 | 10 | 222.6 | |
2002 | Todd Heap, Balt. | 122 | 68 | 836 | 6 | 193.4 | |
2001 | Tony Gonzalez, K.C. | 118 | 73 | 917 | 6 | 205.6 | |
2000 | Tony Gonzalez, K.C. | 150 | 93 | 1203 | 9 | 267.3 | |
1999 | Tony Gonzalez, K.C. | 104 | 76 | 849 | 11 | 226.9 | |
1998 | Shannon Sharpe, Den. | 107 | 64 | 768 | 10 | 200.8 | |
1997 | Shannon Sharpe, Den. | 114 | 72 | 1107 | 3 | 202.7 | |
1996 | Shannon Sharpe, Den. | 117 | 80 | 1062 | 10 | 246.2 | |
1995 | Ben Coates, N.E. | 137 | 84 | 915 | 6 | 211.5 | |
1994 | Ben Coates, N.E. | 148 | 96 | 1174 | 7 | 255.4 | |
1993 | Shannon Sharpe, Den. | 110 | 81 | 995 | 9 | 234.5 |
Question with Kelce doesn't seem to be if he's the top tight end, but just how early to select him. Around 8th-10th, based on the preliminary rankings, looks right. But if you're in a TE-premium format, with the position getting 1.5 points per reception, he'll go even higher.