AJ Barner vs Travis Kelce: Who Should You Start?
AJ Barner and Travis Kelce are both viable fantasy tight ends heading into 2026, but their 2025 production tells two different stories. AJ Barner averaged 7.1 PPG across 17 games with the Seattle Seahawks, while Travis Kelce posted 9.1 PPG in 17 appearances for the Kansas City Chiefs.
A 2.0-PPG gap gives Travis Kelce the edge on paper, but paper does not account for Thursday night matchups, weather games, or a star defender returning from injury. The real question is not who was better in 2025, but who is the better start this specific week.
Travis Kelce is the volume tight end in this matchup with 76 receptions for 851 yards, while AJ Barner profiles as a more touchdown-dependent spike play (6 scores on 52 catches). In weeks where AJ Barner finds the end zone he out-scores Travis Kelce, but the floor gap is real.
One scheduling note: AJ Barner is off Week 10 and Travis Kelce Week 6. If these two are on your roster, you will need a fill-in tight end for both weeks. DraftCall flags bye conflicts so you can plan ahead rather than panic on waivers.
