Who Should I Start? Josh Oliver or Noah Gray

Monday, December 9, 10:54 AM

Minnesota Vikings tight end Josh Oliver caught one of two targets for 26 yards during Sunday's Week 14 win over the Atlanta Falcons. He had been averaging 10.9 fantasy points (PPR) over his last four games, but then he missed two weeks due to injury and came back down to earth in his return to the field on Sunday afternoon. Perhaps part of the reason for his reduced production was that he played just 50 percent of the offensive snaps; that was his lowest mark since Week 3. Oliver remains the clear No. 2 tight end behind T.J. Hockenson, which lowers his floor significantly and keeps him off the fantasy radar in most redraft leagues.

Saturday, January 25, 10:05 PM

Kansas City Chiefs tight end Noah Gray is a low-floor desperation play in this Sunday's Conference Championship bout with the Buffalo Bills. Gray had a stretch of four games in the middle of the season when he snagged four touchdowns and nabbed at least four passes per contest. However, he's since caught just eight balls while seeing his snap percentage drop roughly 10-20% per outing. The drop in playing time coincides with the return of wide receiver Marquise Brown, so it makes sense that the 25-year-old has had his work cut some. He'll still be eligible to catch a short-area TD or two, but by and large, is tough to trust from a volume standpoint in a passing attack that hasn't been all that effective this season. Gray can be safely avoided for fantasy purposes, even in a game that should feature a healthy amount of points.