Is Travis Kelce Playing This Week? Fantasy Football COVID Updates for Week 17

As fantasy football managers are finalizing their lineups for Week 17, some last minute injury situations will shape their decisions and separate the winners from the losers

Let's check in on the situation for Chiefs tight end Travis Kelce, who missed last week because he was on the league's COVID list.

Will Kelce be back for Week 17 against the Bengals? And if so, what will that mean for the Chiefs offense when it comes to fantasy football?

Is Travis Kelce Playing This Week Against The Bengals?

After missing last week's game due to COVID-19, all signs point to Travis Kelce returning this week to take on the Cincinnati Bengals in Week 17. While it's unclear if Kelce will be dealing with any lasting impacts from his bout with COVID, fantasy managers should feel fine about inserting Kelce back into fantasy lineups.

Even after missing a week, Kelce is the overall TE2 on the season, as well as the TE2 in points per game. He trails only Mark Andrews in both categories. The Bengals allow the eighth-most fantasy points per game to opposing tight ends, so consider Kelce to be what he always is in fantasy: a must-start TE1.

Should I Start Byron Pringle in Week 17?

With Kelce out last week, the Chiefs still beat the Steelers 36-10. Tyreek Hill — who was also coming off the COVID list — was targeted just twice. It was Byron Pringle who saw the biggest uptick in usage, as he caught six passes for 75 yards and two scores.

Hill should be closer to 100% this week and with Hill/Kelce as the focal point of the offense, Pringle will see his usage reduced. He's still an option in deep leagues and in DFS, but don't go into Week 17 thinking that Pringle is going to put up numbers that look anything like his Week 16 numbers.

Tight ends Noah Gray and Blake Bell combined for just three catches for 23 yards. If you picked either up as a desperation play with Kelce out, you were disappointed — and hopefully you've already dropped both guys.

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