Travis Kelce isn't the only stud TE who might not play in Week 1. Two more upper-tier TEs, Mark Andrews and George Kittle, landed on their respective teams' injury reports ahead of their season opener, prompting fantasy football owners to check for updates ahead of Sunday's kickoffs.
Both TEs' are likely to carry "questionable" tags entering the weekend, so it's wise for fantasy owners to have a plan B just in case either isn't quite healthy enough to give it a go. At a position where consistent weekly production is hard to come by, seeing two of the most reliable TEs banged up isn't an ideal start to the season.
Below, we'll give you the latest news on these elite TEs and break down how their injuries could potentially affect the Week 1 fantasy landscape. For updates on injured RB Zack Moss and Breece Hall, click here; for news on banged-up WRs Terry McLaurin, Christian Watson, Jerry Jeudy, Marquise Brown, and more, go here.
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Mark Andrews injury update, Week 1 fantasy outlook
According to the Ravens' official injury report, Andrews (quad) returned to practice on Wednesday and was a limited participant. With head coach John Harbaugh telling the media, "He (Andrews) looked good. He looked fine," fantasy owners should be optimistic about Andrews' prospects of suiting up this Sunday.
WEEK 1 STANDARD RANKINGS:
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Considering fantasy owners utilized early-round draft capital on Andrews, he remains a must-start in a plus matchup against an exploitable Texans' pass defense. There's some concern around Andrews' potential snap count, especially if Baltimore jumps out to a multi-possession lead in the second half, but those concerns aren't sufficient to bench one of the game's best fantasy TEs. Andrews remains a set-it-and-forget-it TE1 in all formats.
WEEK 1 PPR RANKINGS:
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George Kittle injury update, Week 1 fantasy outlook
Kittle (groin) also returned to practice on Wednesday and was a limited participant, according to the 49ers' official injury report. Kittle's been dealing with an adductor strain the past few weeks, but returning to practice boosts his chances of playing in the 49ers regular-season opener in Pittsburgh.
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There's a good chance Kittle gets pegged with an injury designation ahead of Sunday, but fantasy owners should feel exponentially better about his chances of playing Week 1. Until his Week 1 status becomes official, it's worth having a backup plan in mind, potentially rolling out widely available TEs in plus matchups like Gerald Everett (vs. Dolphins), Logan Thomas (vs. Cardinals), and Juwan Johnson (vs. Titans).
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Like Andrews, given where most fantasy owners drafted Kittle, if he's active on Sunday, he's in your starting lineup, no questions asked.
