Travis Kelce Fantasy News and Statistics

It's amazing to think that football was just a pipe dream for Travis Kelce just a handful of years ago. In 2010, he was suspended for the entire season at the University of Cincinnati for a violation of team rules. Generally, players who are two-star recruits out of high school who get themselves in trouble early in their careers are never heard from again. But it's a good thing for the Kansas City Chiefs that Kelce was able to beat the odds to ultimately become one of the best tight ends in the NFL.

Even when Kelce returned from his 2010 suspension, he didn't have a huge impact until his senior year. In 2012, he had 722 yards and eight touchdowns for the Bearcats, stretching out the field at tight end almost how Rob Gronkowski had been doing for the Patriots in the early stages of his NFL career.

Still, Kelce was the fifth tight end selected in the 2013 NFL Draft and lasted 63 selections before the Chiefs took him off the board. That first pro season was essentially a redshirt for Kelce, as he was on IR after playing in just one game and failing to record any stats.

Once he got on the field for a full 16-game season, he was immediately a tremendous impact player. The conservative Alex Smith built a rapport with Kelce right away, using him as a security blanket and a man who can do things after getting the ball in his hands. He had 67 receptions on just 87 targets in that 2014 season, racking up 862 yards and five touchdowns.

The 2015 season was Kelce's first in the Pro Bowl. Aside from Jeremy Maclin, he was really the only other good option for Smith to throw the ball to that season, and he took advantage to the tune of 875 yards and five scores. Kelce was unstoppable in a 30-0 Wild Card victory over Houston, amassing eight receptions for 128 yards in the romp.

But Kelce really started to shine in 2016. He led the team in receiving by a country mile, recording 1,125 yards and four touchdowns. The best stretch of his year came between Week 11 and Week 14. In all four games against the Buccaneers, Broncos, Falcons and Raiders, Kelce had at least 100 receiving yards. After a bad game against Tennessee, Kelce lit up the Broncos on Christmas night, catching 11 passes for 160 yards and a touchdown, including a career-best 80-yard score that capped off a 21-point first quarter for KC.

Perhaps the biggest issue Kelce faces heading into 2017 is that the secret is out about him. He's undoubtedly the best receiver Kansas City has at its disposal, and with Maclin no longer with the club, there isn't an obvious candidate to step in as a legitimate No. 2 option. Teams are going to inevitably start to focus in on Kelce more and more as the options become more and more limited for a team that struggles to throw the football.