Who Should I Start? Theo Johnson or Noah Gray

Saturday, December 27, 1:04 PM

New York Giants tight end Theo Johnson (illness) has ruled out for his team's Week 17 matchup against the Las Vegas Raiders due to an illness. Johnson was a late addition to the injury report on Friday, and he will not travel with the team to Las Vegas. The 24-year-old has functioned as the Giants' TE1 all season long, recording 45 receptions for 528 yards and five touchdowns on 74 targets across 15 games. He's played at least 70% of New York's offensive snaps in every game in 2025. In his absence, Daniel Bellinger will likely step in as the lead receiving tight end for the Giants. Bellinger has hauled in 15 catches for 237 yards and a touchdown on 21 targets across 14 games so far this season. Despite the improved playing time outlook, he profiles as a risky start for fantasy managers in Week 17.

Wednesday, December 31, 12:49 AM

After a career year in 2024, Kansas City Chiefs tight end Noah Gray hasn't played a major role in the offense in 2025. Gray has totalled 18 catches (32 targets) for 148 yards in 15 games this season and has yet to find the end zone after scoring five times last year. The 26-year-old's lowest snap share in a game this season was 32.3% in Week 12, so the veteran was still a part of the Chiefs offense, but he has only been targeted on 13% of his routes, down from 16% last year. The Chiefs' pass-catching situation was much more dire in 2024 than in 2025, with Rashee Rice back in the mix for most of the season, which in part led to the dip in production for Gray. However, with plenty of rumors surrounding the possibility of legendary tight end Travis Kelce retiring at the end of the season, Gray could be stepping into a starting role in 2026, which would be a big boost to his fantasy value.