Game Of Throws: Will Kelce bounce back in 2025?

Travis Kelce and Taylor Swift announced their engagement on Instagram today.

How long before FanDuel gives us an over/under on the number of months until the wedding date?

Relax, I’m only kidding.

Although, I have thought a lot about how much Kelce has left in the tank entering his 12th NFL season.

Kelce is coming off a career-low 823 receiving yards and three touchdowns in 16 games last season.

There’s been a lot of talk about Kelce showing up to camp for the Kansas City Chiefs in the best shape of his life but I’m not sure I’m buying it.

Kelce will turn 36 this season and I don’t think getting engaged to the biggest pop star on the planet is going to lead to a meteoric rise in ADP in fantasy football leagues.

Will Kelce finish with more than 675.5 receiving yards?

At first glance, that number seems low to me. Of course, there was a lot of speculation down the stretch last season that Kelce’s lack of production was in part due to an effort to keep him fresh for the playoffs.

If that was the case again this season, expectations should be tempered.

Regardless of his production, you could make the case that Kelce is now the most popular player in NFL history.

Remember, this is the social media era and Kelce’s new fiancé has 280 million followers on Instagram alone.

Meanwhile, I’m fascinated by the fact that at the same time Kelce and Swift have stolen the spotlight, Kansas City seem to be one of the most overlooked teams in the NFL among FanDuel bettors.

The Chiefs just became the first team in NFL history to reach the Super Bowl five times in a six-year span, and they won three of them.

As lopsided as last year’s blowout loss to the Philadelphia Eagles was, I was surprised to find out that Kansas City isn’t among the five most popular bets to win the Super Bowl at FanDuel.

Of course, the Chiefs are one of four teams with shorter than 10-to-1 odds to win it all.

The Eagles and Baltimore Ravens are co-favourites to win the Super Bowl at +700. The Buffalo Bills are right behind them at +750.

Kansas City is the fourth choice to win the Super Bowl at +800 odds at FanDuel right now.

Meanwhile, Patrick Mahomes, who is coming off career-worst marks in passing yards per game (245) and sacks (36) is now the fourth choice to win NFL regular season MVP at +650.

Lamar Jackson (+430), Josh Allen (+600), and Joe Burrow (+600) are the three quarterbacks with shorter odds.

The Chiefs are the favourite to win the AFC West at even-money at FanDuel. Kansas City has won nine straight division titles – the second-longest streak in NFL history.

The Chiefs have also made the playoffs in 10 consecutive seasons – one short of tying the New England Patriots record for the longest streak in NFL history.

Believe it or not, FanDuel bettors have been willing to fade Kansas City this season.

The Chiefs to miss the playoffs is +270 at FanDuel. Bettors must see value in that number as KC is the fifth-most popular bet to miss the playoffs at FanDuel.

Perhaps this is the year the Chiefs streak finally does come to an end, but I’m not willing to bet on it. Mahomes and company appear to have a chip on their shoulder, which is wild considering they are coming off a historic 15-2 season.

Still, the season ended with a humiliating loss to the Eagles in the Super Bowl, which is something both the players and football fans in Kansas City would like to forget sooner rather than later.

The Chiefs upgraded their offensive line with the additions of veteran Jaylen Moore and rookie first round pick Josh Simmons following the loss of Joe Thuney.

Wide receiver Rashee Rice is back and won’t face any supplemental discipline for at least the first couple of months of the season.

Rice’s return combined with the development of last year’s first round Xavier Worthy and a full year with Marquise “Hollywood” Brown could help unlock the big plays the KC offence sorely missed last season.

Meanwhile, the Chiefs defence is expected to rank among the best in the NFL once again under defensive coordinator Steve Spagnuolo.

It’s easy to forget how dominant that defence was last season.

If Mahomes is healthy, it’s to imagine Kansas City taking a major step back this season, even if they will face one of the tougher schedules in the league.

After all, the Chiefs won 15 of their 17 games last season, and their roster might be better on paper.

They won’t go 15-2 again, but I’ll take Kansas City to go over 10.5 regular season wins as a FanDuel Best Bet.

Except for last year’s Super Bowl, Mahomes hasn’t let me down very often. After nearly a decade of success, redemption has been a theme in KC this offseason.

Regardless of the spectacle surrounding this team off the field, this should be one of the NFL’s best teams on the field again this season.

I’ll lock in Chiefs over 10.5 regular season wins as a FanDuel Best Bet.