Week 11 NFL Moneyline Underdogs
Mike Randle
As the calendar turns to June, there are less than 100 days until the start of the 2023 NFL season. We are exactly 96 days away from the Thursday night kickoff matchup between the Detroit Lions and Kansas City Chiefs.
Best ball season is in full swing, and redraft leagues will begin shortly. As more and more fantasy managers begin drafting, this year’s rookies start to gain momentum. As the rookies gain attention, the sophomore class from last season will start to become overshadowed. Taking advantage of the prioritization of rookies over established veterans is a great edge to attack in fantasy drafts, especially when it comes to second-year players. These players often take huge strides during their second NFL season, building on their full season of NFL experience and development.
We continue our second-year scouting report series today with Kansas City wide receiver Skyy Moore. He was a second-round pick in last year’s draft, coming to Kansas City as a prolific wideout from Western Michigan. This article will provide an overview of Skyy Moore as a rookie and how you should view him for redraft and dynasty leagues this season.
Skyy Moore, WR, Kansas City Chiefs
Skyy Moore was active for 16 of Kansas City’s 17 regular-season games, missing only Week 17 due to a hand strain. Moore was slow to acclimate to the Chiefs offense, finding himself buried behind JuJu Smith-Schuster, Marquez Valdes-Scantling and even Mecole Hardman. Moore caught 22 of his 33 targets for 250 yards and no touchdowns. However, this is a player who caught 94 passes for 1,283 receiving yards and 10 touchdowns in his final year in college with Western Michigan.
Early thoughts had Moore possibly serving as a replacement for departing All-Pro wideout Tyreek Hill. However, the only comparable measurable to Hill is speed, as Moore falls short in both burst and catch radius. Moore posted only two weeks with five receptions, in consecutive contests during Week 11 and 12. His only touchdown of the season actually occurred in the Super Bowl, when he caught a four-yard reception against the Eagles.
What Went Wrong
It’s hard to see things went wrong for Moore, as he achieved a Super Bowl victory as a rookie wide receiver. Certainly, more was expected as a second-round draft pick, but was his lack of usage simply because Kansas City was incredibly successful?
Moore produced less than a 30% snap share, only playing more than half the snaps in the AFC Championship game against Cincinnati. The Chiefs executed a late-October trade for explosive New York Giants wideout Kadarius Toney, who produced just 14 receptions on 17 targets. Was that move a sign that the Chiefs did not like what they saw from Moore, or just a trade deadline move to push toward the Super Bowl? The season was certainly a success as a whole, but it’s hard to summarize Moore’s season-long contributions as anything less than disappointing.
What Went Right
Moore became fully acclimated to Andy Reid’s offense as a rookie, without the pressure of having to contribute immediately. Despite a limited reception total, his elusiveness ranked favorably among all NFL receivers. He forced 7 missed tackles last year on just 27 receptions (including playoffs), which was just one fewer than teammate JuJu Smith-Schuster on 61 fewer catches.
Kansas City is just one year removed from investing significant draft capital in Moore, which should translate to every possible opportunity to succeed in 2023. His rookie season wasn’t disappointing because of minimal production, he did produce when given the chance. Moore’s chances were just limited throughout the Chiefs Super Bowl run.
Prognosis Entering 2023
The departure of JuJu Smith-Schuster and Mecole Hardman translates to over 45% of last year’s targets now available. Kansas City has ranked inside the top five in pass attempts in each of the last three seasons. The Chiefs have also finished inside the top six in points per game in each season with Patrick Mahomes as quarterback. This offense puts up big points and has one of the highest pass rates in the league every year.
Moore’s biggest competition will come from this year’s rookie wideout, Rashee Rice. At 6-feet and 200 pounds, Rice is a much bigger player than Moore. GM Brett Veach traded up to select Rice in Round 2, and has already projected Rice as a possible replacement for JuJu Smith-Schuster in the slot.
Veteran Kadarius Toney is rumored to be the team’s WR1, but he has only played in 19 of a possible 34 games in his short NFL career. While Toney’s shiftiness and play-making ability fits with quarterback Patrick Mahomes, his availability has me doubting his season-long contributions to this passing attack.
Moore is currently being drafted as the overall WR56 with an 11th-round ADP of 124.5. He is available after players such as Tyler Boyd (Cincinnati’s WR3), and rookies Quentin Johnston (WR43), and Zay Flowers (WR44). There is certainly a path for him to be the Chiefs’ WR1, and a year of experience should greatly benefit the shifty sophomore.
Dynasty Outlook
In dynasty/long-term fantasy leagues, Skyy Moore brings tremendous upside. There is still enough uncertainty about his talent to suppress his value, which provides opportunity for a breakout 2023 season. Moore’s ADP is almost identical to Rashee Rice (ADP 132.1), which is expected after minimal contributions as a rookie. Rounds 12-15 in Best Ball drafts are always areas to find undervalued players that could take a huge step in Year 2. Skyy Moore fits that description perfectly.
As expected, Kansas City has the fifth-hardest schedule per Vegas projected win totals. The Chiefs will be tested after a Super Bowl championship, which should equate to another high-volume passing season. Things may be unclear in the Chiefs wide receiver target depth chart, but catching passes from Patrick Mahomes is a great place to reside in fantasy football.
