Skyy Moore is the best bet for reliable fantasy football production from a Chiefs wide receiver over the course of the 2023 NFL season, but will that breakout begin in Week 1's Thursday night matchup against the Lions?
There's no doubt Moore has gotten a lot of preseason buzz going into his second season. The second-round pick from Western Michigan has promise for a big role as a key target for Patrick Mahomes after the team didn't re-sign JuJu Smith-Schuster. It's clear that Kansas City considers Moore a base starting wideout, along with deep threat Marquez Valdes-Scantling.
So, does that mean you should consider using Moore as a WR3 in your Week 1 lineup? Here's a breakdown:
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Skyy Moore's fantasy football outlook
Moore and the Chiefs' passing game has a pretty good matchup against the Lions. Although Detroit improved its secondary with cornerback Cameron Sutton, safety C.J. Gardner-Johnson, and rookie nickel back Brian Branch, there are still questions on how the new group will jell under coordinator Aaron Glenn.
The Lions were burned by blitzing early last season, and that's not a good approach vs. Patrick Mahomes anyway. It's likely they stay in zone to help prevent his big arm from having favorable one-on-one shots for big plays. Moore, when inside in the slot, will see a combination of Gardner-Johnson and Branch. The Chiefs feel like they can line up Moore anywhere, much like they did in scheming open Tyreek Hill.
The key to Moore's target volume lies in the health of tight end Travis Kelce. If Kelce (knee) can go, he would draw a ton of attention and give Mahomes more of a window to find Moore. If Kelce can't go, Moore can have a massive role as the short-to-intermediate replacement go-to guy.
The Chiefs have a good backup tight end in Noah Gray, but minus Kelce, they would likely lean a lot more on Moore and their running backs in the passing game. Moore should also be set up to be a much bigger red-zone scoring threat after his clutch, wide-open short TD that helped his team win Super Bowl 57.
Should you start Skyy Moore in Week 1?
The Chiefs are a high-volume passing team with Mahomes and need someone to have an impact right away to either complement or replace Kelce well. The Lions' coverage struggled with versatile route-running types last season, including two other Moores, Elijah and D.J. Between the matchup and potential bump in usage, Skyy Moore is a worthy WR3 play for a decent catch-yardage floor with a shot at a score, especially in PPR-leaning leagues.
