It might seem like Rob Gronkowski's retirement promoted Kelce to the top of the tight end class, but Kansas City's version of No. 87 was already there. Kelce rode shotgun on Patrick Mahomes' MVP season, bumping most of his counting stats and efficiency ones too. He's now ranked first, second and first in TE fantasy points the last three years. Mahomes was able to prioritize Kelce around the goal line in a way that Alex Smith never would. Kelce had just 16 targets inside the 10-yard line entering last year, then collected 12 - third in the league and most among tight ends - for 2018 alone. Perhaps Kelce will be a little easier to mark with Tyreek Hill likely out of the picture, but if defenses had any clue how to stop the 29-year-old tight end we probably would have seen it by now. No one has cracked this matrix. Injuries are a tricky thing to predict for anyone, especially those at tight end, the ultimate collision position. That said, credit Kelce for playing in 79 of 80 games the last five years. He had a clean-up ankle surgery in early March, missing the offseason program before gaining clearance for the start of training camp. Selecting a vanity tight end isn't for everyone - some fantasy owners don't want to play catch-up at the other positions. But with the first tight end tier a tiny and exclusive group, it's possible margin analysis could push you to an early Kelce pick. It seems easier to get lucky at the other positions than it is to strike gold at tight end.