Who Should I Start? Noah Gray or AJ Barner

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.

Friday, September 5, 2:24 PM

Seattle Seahawks tight end AJ Barner is not someone worth starting in Week 1. Although Barner appears to be stepping into the No. 1 tight end role in this offense, fantasy managers would be better off waiting to see how the tight end touches are split between Barner and rookie Elijah Arroyo. Barner flashed in 2024 with 245 receiving yards and four touchdowns. Those are not eye-popping numbers, but Barner looked athletic and like he belonged on an NFL field. There is a large tight end role to fill in a Klint Kubiak-led offense that is favorable to the position. If Barner receives a lot of opportunities, he could end up being a solid streaming tight end. However, he is also a great blocker, something that Arroyo could use work on. As such, Arroyo could ultimately end up being the receiving tight end with Barner sprinkled in. The snap breakdown between the two in Week 1 will be telling.