Fantasy TEs to Target on Waiver Wire and Buy-Low Trades After Travis Kelce's Injury

Kansas City Chiefs tight end Travis Kelce suffered a hyperextended knee during practice on Tuesday, and his status for the team's regular-season opener against the Detroit Lions on Thursday is now uncertain, head coach Andy Reid told reporters.

Hopefully, Kelce is back on the field 100 percent healthy as soon as possible. The two-time Super Bowl champion and four-time All-Pro is an electric and dynamic talent, and he will find a place in the Pro Football Hall of Fame someday.

In the interim, the Chiefs may need to figure out how to replace their tight end's tremendous production until he returns.

In the fantasy football world, Kelce was a first-round lock, and if he can't go, then those team owners will need to figure out a backup plan.

Here are four potential options to stash on your roster or even start Week 1 if Kelce is out. All players listed below are rostered in less than half of Yahoo leagues.

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Chiefs TE Noah Gray

Noah Gray is the next man up on the depth chart, and he's the top option here if Kelce misses time. Simply put, any Chief who would get a lot of playing time in a Patrick Mahomes and Reid-led offense must be considered for fantasy purposes, and Gray would be no exception.

It's unlikely Kelce would soak up as many targets as Kelce, who has averaged 143.4 per year over the past five seasons. But Gray is an efficient pass-catcher (28 receptions on just 34 targets) in 2022 who added 299 yards along the way. He already has a solid connection with the best quarterback in the game, and that makes him a great (and obvious) pick here.

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Chargers TE Gerald Everett

Everett is the top tight end on a potentially electric offense that just added Dallas Cowboys offensive coordinator Kellen Moore to the same position in L.A. Moore oversaw one of the top-scoring offenses in football during his time in Dallas, and he can work wonders for quarterback Justin Herbert and Co.

The offense struggled last year for much of the season, but Everett still fared well with 58 catches for 555 yards and four scores.

It's not impossible to see Everett improve upon those figures under Moore, and he's playing in a potentially explosive matchup to start against another pass-happy team in the Miami Dolphins. Everett is an easy choice here.

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Bills TE Dawson Knox

Yes, the Buffalo Bills just drafted a first-round tight end in Dalton Kincaid, but Knox has been a favorite of quarterback Josh Allen for a while now.

Knox is second on the team in receiving touchdowns with 15 over the past two years, and his chemistry with his quarterback down near the end zone is clear. Plus, the Bills can use Kincaid as a de-facto third wideout alongside Stefon Diggs and Gabe Davis, keeping Knox unencumbered in his TE1 slot.

Knox is only rostered in 21 percent of Yahoo leagues, and that just seems too low for a player who has been a proven scoring threat. Consider him as an addition to your bench if you need to put Kelce in the IR slot.

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Cardinals TE Trey McBride

This pick is contingent on the status of Arizona Cardinals tight end Zach Ertz, who suffered ACL and MCL injuries in Week 10 last year. Ertz has been cleared for football activity, but he's not confirmed for Week 1 this year against the Washington Commanders. If Arizona opts to ease him in, then McBride will be TE1 in the meantime.

McBride didn't post gaudy numbers last year (29 catches, 265 yards, one score), but he's capable of blowing up in 2022, his second NFL season.

The ex-Colorado State star amassed 90 catches for 1,121 yards in his final collegiate campaign, so he's used to being a dynamic pass-catching threat. Whether that shows up in the NFL remains to be seen, but if McBride has the opportunity to be TE1 in Arizona, then perhaps he will take advantage of his opportunity and make a big sophomore leap.