Who Should I Start? Jonnu Smith or Noah Gray

Saturday, January 4, 10:02 AM

Miami Dolphins tight end Jonnu Smith remains an appealing fantasy option ahead of Sunday's Week 18 contest against the New York Jets. There are many moving parts ahead of the Dolphins' regular-season finale, including the injury statuses of key offensive weapons such as Tua Tagovailoa (hip), Jaylen Waddle (knee), and Tyreek Hill (wrist, illness). As it stands, Tagovailoa is expected to be sidelined, leaving Tyler Huntley as the Dolphins' starting quarterback for the second week in a row. Smith saw a significantly reduced target share with Huntley under center last week, catching three of four targets for 26 yards. He had his lowest target total, reception total, yardage total, and snap share since Week 10. However, he managed to snag a touchdown pass in the win, salvaging his fantasy performance and giving him seven consecutive games with double-digit fantasy points (PPR). He ranks as the overall TE4 this season, and while the insertion of Huntley under center does lower Smith's ceiling and floor, we still view the 29-year-old tight end as a top-eight fantasy option at his position heading into Week 18.

Saturday, January 4, 11:09 AM

Kansas City Chiefs tight end Noah Gray will face the Denver Broncos on the road in Week 18. Gray has run behind Travis Kelce all season but still produced fantasy-relevant weeks. With Kelce listed as doubtful for this week's contest, Gray should be prepared to handle the full workload this week. The 25-year-old will take on the Broncos, who rank 18th in fantasy points allowed to opposing tight ends this season. Gray had a five-game stretch from Weeks 11 to 15 where he found the endzone five times, more than Kelce scored all season. Gray's ceiling will be capped with Patrick Mahomes set to miss this week's contest. Carson Wentz will be at the helm of the Chiefs offense, making Gray a lower-tier option. Gray is ranked TE15 in our RotoBaller Half-PPR rankings, making him a viable TE2 option this week. Fantasy managers can start Gray and hope he finds pay dirt.