Who Should I Start? Connor Heyward or Noah Gray

Friday, November 3, 12:12 PM

Pittsburgh Steelers tight end Connor Heyward caught two of his three targets for 16 yards in the team's 20-16 win over the visiting Tennessee Titans on Thursday Night Football. Meanwhile, fellow tight end Darnell Washington caught his only target for a seven-yard gain. Heyward caught a season-high five passes (six targets) for 24 yards in last week's loss to the Jacksonville Jaguars with Pat Freiermuth (hamstring) on Injured Reserve, but he couldn't keep up that elevated production in Week 9. Freiermuth will miss at least two more games, but fantasy managers just won't be able to trust Heyward for consistent production in one of the weaker offenses in the league. The 24-year-old has just 14 receptions for 105 yards and no touchdowns in eight games in 2023.

Friday, August 8, 10:40 AM

Kansas City Chiefs tight end Noah Gray has looked very strong in training camp and is receiving strong buzz from reports. Albert Breer of Sports Illustrated noted that the tight end looks like a "high-end" starter. Throughout his four-year career in Kansas City, Gray has typically taken the backseat to future Hall of Famer Travis Kelce. However, after catching just 28 passes in both 2022 and 2023, Gray was able to enjoy a mini-breakout season in 2024. Last fall, Gray caught a career-best 40 passes for 437 yards and five touchdowns. He enjoyed productive stretch from Weeks 10 through 15 when he averaged a solid 10.2 PPR points per game. Fantasy managers should keep an eye on his progression early in the season as he could continue to carve out a role behind Kelce. However, for now, Kelce remains the clear TE1 in Kansas City. Gray is best viewed as a high-upside TE3 in deeper formats.