(Updated) Is Travis Kelce playing Thursday night? Fantasy injury update for Broncos-Chiefs Week 6 Thursday Night Football

Matt Lutovsky

(Updated) Is Travis Kelce playing Thursday night? Fantasy injury update for Broncos-Chiefs Week 6 Thursday Night Football image

Travis Kelce has been the talk of the NFL since the opening game. His absence cast a pall on the Chiefs' Week 1 pre-game celebration and subsequent loss, and his dalliance with a certain pop megastar has dominated headlines in both NFL and entertainment circles alike. Now, ahead of Week 6's Thursday Night Football matchup against the Broncos, Kelce is once again dealing with an injury and in danger of sitting out, disappointing both the talking heads on Amazon and fantasy football owners in desperate need of their first-round pick. Knowing the latest updates will be crucial ahead of your first start 'em, sit 'em decision of the week.

We'll continue to update this article with news on Kelce until the official active/inactive report comes out on Thursday around 6:45 p.m. ET.

MORE THURSDAY NIGHT FOOTBALL:
DK lineup | FD lineup | Best props | Betting preview | Start-sit

Is Travis Kelce playing Thursday night Week 6? 

UPDATE 10/11: Kelce got in another limited practice on Wednesday and is officially "questionable" for Thursday night's game against the Broncos. Barring a late setback, all signs point toward him playing.

UPDATE 10/12: ESPN's Adam Schefter reported Thursday afternoon that Kelce is expected to play.

UPDATE 10/12: Kelce is officially ACTIVE.

Despite returning -- and excelling -- in Week 5 after injuring his ankle, Kelce was an estimated DNP in practice on Monday and a limited participant on Tuesday. It's not a surprise, as ankle sprains often get worse the day after the initial injury, but now the question is whether Kelce will have enough time to get ready for Thursday night.

WEEK 6 PPR RANKINGS:
QBs | RBs | WRs | TEs | D/STs | Kickers

Fantasy owners already know what to do if Kelce is active. He's a must-start even at 75 percent, especially against a Broncos' defense allowing the sixth-most fantasy points to TEs. Even with a missed game and mediocre results by his standards, Kelce ended Week 5 as the No. 2 overall tight end and first in TE fantasy points per game.

WEEK 6 STANDARD RANKINGS:
QBs | RBs | WRs | TEs | D/STs | Kickers

Who should you pick up in fantasy if Travis Kelce is out in Week 6?

No one can truly replace Kelce's production, but there are several widely available TE sleepers you can pick up to ease the sting of losing him. Logan Thomas (@ Falcons) is the best option given his steady targets and plus matchup, but Zach Ertz (@ Rams) and Tyler Conklin (vs. Eagles) also see regular targets and have favorable matchups. 

If you need to dig a little deeper, Cade Otton (vs. Lions) and Noah Fant (@ Bengals) are in good spots, and you can always just opt for Kelce's actual replacement, Noah Gray (vs. Broncos), who should produce well in a favorable matchup.

Matt Lutovsky

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Matt Lutovsky has been a writer and editor for The Sporting News since 2007, primarily writing about fantasy sports, betting, and gaming.