Who Should I Start? Noah Gray or Ja'Tavion Sanders

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.

Thursday, October 16, 3:45 PM

Carolina Panthers tight end Ja'Tavion Sanders (ankle) was upgraded from a limited participant in Wednesday's practice to a full participant on Thursday, suggesting that he's on the right track to return for a Week 7 tilt against the New York Jets. As long as the 22-year-old doesn't suffer a setback with his high-ankle sprain in Friday's practice, he'll have a good shot to put an end to his three-game absence. If Sanders is back out on the field this Sunday at MetLife Stadium, he should operate as Carolina's top pass-catching tight end, moving Tommy Tremble back into a blocking role. The Jets have allowed a league-high six touchdowns to the TE position this year, too, which would put Sanders immediately onto the TE2 streaming radar if he makes his return. Before his ankle injury, Sanders caught 11 of 14 targets for 92 yards and no touchdowns in three games.