Noah

Gray

Gray missed last week’s game with the concussion. The shoulder issue is a new addition to his practice report, though a full practice means it won’t stop him from suiting up this week. Gray isn’t on the fantasy radar for Week 14 but does bring plenty to the table as an extra blocker and a backup tight end for the Chiefs.

Gray sustained a head injury last week against the Colts and entered the league’s concussion protocol. He won’t suit up on a short week. It could mean a slight target bump for TE Travis Kelce. Gray had five receptions on seven targets over his past two games as a rotational tight end in the KC offense.

Gray has slowly seen his role in the passing game grow over the past month, accumulating 12 targets in Kansas City’s last four games. It looks very unlikely he’ll be up for Thursday’s game against the Cowboys.

Gray’s short grab was his lone target in a blowout loss. Coming off back-to-back solid seasons as the Chiefs’ No. 2 seam stretcher, Gray signed a new three-year deal on the eve of Week 1 and proceeded to post a career-best slash of 40/437/5 as Travis Kelce continued to decline. Gray’s five scores tied for ninth amongst tight ends, though his modest eight red zone targets suggest that number was a fluke. It was still an encouraging campaign for the 25-year-old with Kelce looking like a retirement candidate. Were that to transpire, Gray would suddenly be in the lower-end TE1 mix for a Chiefs skill corps that remains undermanned despite its continued Super Bowl appearances.

Gray logged just four total snaps in this one, indicating the Chiefs value him as a capable passing-game contributor. Most skill position starters rested in this one though some, like Gray, remained active in a reserve capacity. Gray could be an interesting leverage option in playoff DFS tournaments.

The Chiefs listed numerous healthy, core players as doubtful to play this week with Kelce of course among them. His deactivation was fully expected. Backup tight end Noah Gray is an intriguing, if volatile, dart throw. The fourth-year veteran is having a career-best season and the Chiefs could use the opportunity to see what they have in Gray for the long-term. It is possible Andy Reid already views Gray as an important passing-game contributor though so he may have a limited role, with the playoffs in mind.

Not the line you wanted, but certainly the line you’re used to. Since Week 12, Kelce has gone over eight targets just once and hasn’t done better than 68 yards in a game or scored. Kelce has become a low-end TE1. Noah Gray (1/10 on one target) gets tagged on to this post because he somehow managed to not score a touchdown. Neither player is an exciting start in Week 17 against the Steelers, though we can understand riding with Kelce’s volume.

Gray’s fifth score of the season was also his fifth in as many games. Today snapped a string of four straight four-catch performances, but Gray continues to lack ceiling, while his floor is still struggling to crack the top 18 in fantasy. Especially with Patrick Mahomes’ (ankle) health now up in the air, Gray isn’t a compelling Week 16 streamer against the Texans.

Had Patrick Mahomes led Gray a little less on a deep target in the first quarter, this could have been a 5/~90/1 line. Alas. Gray has worked as a main offensive cog for most of the last three weeks and will be a borderline TE1 in Week 14 against the Chargers.

For the second straight week, Gray had two scores. He found himself wide open on the first play from scrimmage for Kansas City and waltzed into the end zone for a 35-yard touchdown. Running a route on about 55 percent of Mahomes’ drop backs, Gray was tied for third in targets against the Panthers. He could be viable in larger formats next week against a Raiders defense that has been generous to opposing tight ends this year.