Skyy Moore: A Fantasy Football Lineup Decision You Don’t Want in 2023

The Chiefs’ wide receiver room is ripe with fantasy discussion. Trying to figure out which of the receivers is going to pop after the departure of JuJu Smith-Schuster – a year after the departure of Tyreek Hill – is one of the most active off-season discussions throughout the fantasy community. Let’s dive into it!

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A Redshirt Season

Skyy Moore started three games and caught 22 passes in his rookie year, but it felt like a redshirt freshman season for him. He earned more of a role in the return game, leading the team with 14 punt returns, although he wound up sharing that task with mid-season arrival Kadarius Toney as the season progressed. Perhaps his most notable highlight from last year was a crucial 29-yard punt return late in the AFC Championship game against the Bengals to set the Chiefs up at mid-field to close out the victory. Otherwise, even in the playoffs, his role was limited. He finished three playoff games with just five catches and 17 yards – though he did score a touchdown in the Super Bowl.

It wasn’t just a lack of production. Moore’s snap counts were low all season. He saw just 29% of the team’s offensive snaps when he was active. That’s fifth on the team, right below Justin Watson.

*From our snap app at 4for4

Sure, it was a crowded depth chart, but looking at the names involved, it wasn’t exactly a group of perennial pro bowlers. Moore was ultimately an afterthought in a group of afterthoughts. Not a good start for a rookie who dazzled in camp and had fantasy experts (like myself) holding high expectations for the playmaking rookie out of Western Michigan University.

Travis Kelce is the WR1 in Kansas City

Last season was the first time we got to see the Chiefs and Patrick Mahomes without Tyreek Hill for an extended period of time. In five Hill-less starts over the previous two seasons, Mahomes had provided WR1 numbers for the likes of Demarcus Robinson and Byron Pringle, so there was optimism for which wide receiver would step up and become fantasy gold in 2022.

Instead, what we got was a whole lot of Travis Kelce, and a whole lot of Mahomes spreading the ball around. Patrick Mahomes threw 41 touchdowns last season, only 13 of which went to wide receivers. Kelce and Jerick McKinnon combined for 21 of those touchdowns, while Mecole Hardman led all wide receivers with only four.

Mahomes threw for 5,250 yards – number one in the league – but not a single wide receiver eclipsed 1,000 yards. JuJu Smith-Schuster led the receiver room with 933 yards, followed by Marquez Valdes-Scantling coming in a distant second at 687. Meanwhile, Kelce ended up with 1,338 yards on 110 receptions.

*Table taken from Pro Football Reference

Kelce has seven straight seasons of over 1,000 yards receiving and with Mahomes behind center, he’s averaged 9.4 touchdowns per year. He would’ve been the WR5 in half-PPR fantasy points last season, while the TE2 (T.J. Hockenson) would’ve been the WR20. It’s important to remind yourself when you ask who the WR1 is in Kansas City, the answer is Travis Kelce.

While Tyreek Hill was stellar when he was a Chief, it’s telling that he was able to be such a successful fantasy force (WR2) in his first season in Miami. It may not be fair to ask another player to step into Hill’s turbo-charged shoes. The data from last season shows it will be a sum of parts to try and fill those gaps, rather than the emergence of one elite receiver.

Opportunity Cost

Skyy Moore does have a great opportunity. He’s now a full year in the system, giving him a leg up on second-round rookie Rashee Rice. Smith-Schuster and Mecole Hardman took a combined 135 targets with them when they left in free agency, leaving an opening for someone to step up. It very well could be Moore that reaps the benefits. The offseason buzz is already optimistic, with Andy Reid saying Moore “has worked really hard this offseason. He looks like he’s on the same page with” Mahomes, per Myles Simmons of NBC Sports. Plus, Moore sounded confident at a press conference a couple of weeks ago.

Moore is also talented. There’s a reason he was a second-round draft pick a year ago. I likened his playing style to Steve Smith Sr., and our own Anthony Staggs had this to say about him in his Round 2 mock draft back in 2022:

“Moore had the largest hands among receivers at the combine and his competitive nature is evident on film as he looks like a bulldog pushing for extra yardage.”

The problem with the opportunity for Moore, is that it’s also an opportunity for Kadarius Toney, Rashee Rice, and even Justin Watson. That’s without even mentioning guys like Richie James and Justyn Ross. Scoff at James all you want, but his 57 receptions for the Giants last season would’ve ranked second among Kansas City wide receivers, and his 569 yards would’ve been third.

We’d like to think the tremendous talent Moore has would ultimately win out and we wouldn’t have to worry about the slurry of names that encompass the Kansas City receiving depth chart. However, Moore struggled to ascend in nearly an equally questionable lineup in 2022. While offseason hype is all well and good, until we see those snap counts increase and an earned starting job that comes with a steady dose of targets, it’s all speculation.

All that said, the draft capital required to obtain Moore is pretty minimal at this juncture. While he may rise if offseason reports continue to be positive – especially if we start seeing some exceptional pre-season highlights in August – he costs a mere 14th-rounder according to our multi-site ADP tool in 12-team leagues. Drafting him at cost is worth the minimal risk, but expecting him to be an every-week contributor is folly. The team is likely to continue to spread the ball around, continue to emphasize Travis Kelce and continue to use the running backs in the passing game. That may spell another phenomenal season for Mahomes but is likely to be maddening for fantasy managers trying to set their wide receiver lineups.

Moore, Toney, Rice, Watson, Valdes-Scantling, and Richie James are likely to all have good weeks, but trying to guess which one in which game is going to be nearly impossible. All are affordable in ADP, and all are worth rostering in diversified best ball lineups. In redraft, however, it might be best to look elsewhere.

Bottom Line

• The Chiefs spread the ball around their wide receivers without Tyreek Hill's unique talent around
• Patrick Mahomes will continue to feed Travis Kelce first in this offense
• Skyy Moore could be a lottery ticket (as WR64) but is more likely to be another name in the masses of the Kansas City receiving corps
• The Chiefs’ wide receivers should be viewed as late-round best ball targets, rather than viable redraft options