The Chiefs are the last remaining undefeated team in the NFL after knocking off the 49ers in Week 7. In that game, though, they lost yet another wide receiver. JuJu Smith-Schuster (hamstring) played through a questionable tag, but left the game without a catch or a target. Coach Andy Reid already ruled Smith-Schuster out for Week 8’s matchup with the Raiders, meaning he’ll join WR Rashee Rice (knee) and Hollywood Brown (shoulder) on the sideline.
Despite their mounting injuries, the Chiefs offense keeps humming along with Patrick Mahomes ($6,800) at the controls. He threw for 154 yards and ran for a touchdown against the 49ers, and has averaged 231.5 passing yards per game.
While it isn’t surprising that a tight end led the Chiefs in receiving yards on Sunday after JuJu’s exit, it is surprising that it wasn’t Travis Kelce ($6,000) but was instead second tight end Noah Gray ($3,000). With Kelce so much the focus of opposing defenses, Gray will remain a great fantasy option next week and for as long as the Chiefs are short on pass-catching options.
The Background
Gray hauled in four-of-four targets for a team-high 66 yards last week and has hauled in an impressive 14 of his 15 targets this season for 185 yards. He has had multiple targets in each of the last four weeks and caught all ten passes thrown his way for 135 yards in the last three weeks since Rice’s injury.
Gray has the highest success rate (80%) of all qualified pass catchers this season, according to Pro Football Reference and is also third in catch percentage and sixth in yards per target. He was also the highest traded Chief in Week 7 by Pro Football Focus. He has been making the most of his chances, and now he looks lined up for more chances.
The Chiefs thought enough of Gray to give him a three-year contract extension worth $19.5 million coming into the season. They clearly value his contributions, and consider him as part of their plan going forward. With so much focus on Kelce, Gray should be able to continue to connect with Mahomes, who will be looking his way often over the middle. Xavier Worthy ($6,200) and Mecole Hardman ($4,000) his top two wide receivers much more adept at deep routes.
Gray played 67% of the team’s snaps against the 49ers while Kelce played 77%. Worthy and Justin Watson ($3,700) were the only two receivers who played more snaps and Watson only had one target for eight yards while Worthy was held under 20 yards.
The Raiders have been decent against opposing tight ends overall this season. However, they have let more than one tight end have a reception against them in six of their seven games this season.
The Bottom Line
If you need a tight end stash for depth purposes or an emergency play this week in season-long leagues, Gray is a very interesting option to consider. He is owned in less than 5% of leagues and probably will even be available in most standard leagues after waivers have processed. However, he has the trust of Mahomes and opportunities should be available with so few proven pass-catchers on the field for the Chiefs.
With Kelce’s underwhelming numbers, Gray could carve out enough of a meaningful role going forward to be a season-long asset with bye weeks kicking back up starting next week.
Gray is also a strong value play in DFS contests, including the NFL $2.75M Fantasy Football Millionaire [$1M to 1st], where he only costs $3,000. He could be a key to unlocking the stars you want to squeeze in other spots. Think of Gray as either your tight end or bargain FLEX option.
Even with all their injury issues, the Chiefs are 9.5-point road favorites against the Raiders and the over/under is set at 42. Gray could be a good longshot to score a touchdown and rack up receiving yards once player props come out for the matchup as well.
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