Skyy Moore Fantasy Impact
Andy Reid, the head coach of the Kansas City Chiefs, anticipates wide receiver Skyy Moore to “step up” this year.
The wide receiver was the subject of considerable anticipation going into his league debut in 2022–23. He didn’t score a touchdown, though, and concluded the year with just 22 catches for 250 yards. Travis Kelce remained Patrick Mahomes’ top target, but he had access to more than enough pass catchers. But now that Mecole Hardman and JuJu Smith-Schuster have left the team through free agency, Moore has a chance to profit. Having said that, this isn’t the first time we’ve heard a coach discuss the expected development of a player. But, Reid has made numerous references to the 2022 second-round pick this summer, which is never a bad thing for fantasy football.
Andy Reid discussing expectations for Skyy Moore & Kadarius Toney in year 2 with KC at the #NFLCombine pic.twitter.com/CNkFnpLkxR
— Matthew Berry (@MatthewBerryTMR) February 28, 2023
This route by Skyy Moore on Derwin James was filthy! 🔥pic.twitter.com/pXoXNEKEFh
— Brad Henson Productions (@BradHensonPro) November 21, 2022
I thought Moore was a great candidate. I’m a sucker for really dominant small-school early-declare wide receivers, which may be a fault in my scouting. Moore, though, was far from a flawless candidate. He did not fit the NFL WR1 profile at 5’10” and 191 pounds. He also lacked agility and burst.
Moore could not have entered a more ideal situation as a rookie. In addition to being given the most skilled quarterback in the game’s history, he also found himself on a depth chart with a lot of available spots.
With the exception of JuJu Smith-Schuster, the Chiefs did not have a single receiver you could be certain would start the 2022 season.
Moore supporters must embrace the sad reality that he truly has no justification for not being able to play as a rookie. Moore was outplayed by Mecole Hardman, MVS, Justin Watson, and Kadarius Toney (when he showed up). The team’s WR6 was effectively the second-round rookie.
2022 Recap
Skyy Moore was selected as the 13th wide receiver in the 2022 NFL draft, but his combination of on-field skills and landing place propelled him up draft lists. Sincerely, I was also guilty of thinking that choosing between him and Chris Olave was difficult. Moore arrived in Kansas City with the league’s best quarterback and an uncertain depth chart. He ought to have had a successful 2022, then.
I’m not as worried about 2022 with Skyy Moore, which is terrible. MAC to the NFL is a significant jump, though this may be some confirmation bias. Most players will need to adjust when moving from a non-Power Five to the NFL, especially one who probably didn’t need to be perfect to find an opening. Heck, it took Davante Adams two full years to acclimatize before his year three breakout, and he’s currently one of the best NFL WRs.
I have no concerns about Skyy Moore. The Chiefs developed an offense around a strong deep threat, a possession Receiver, a man with special skills, and a star tight end. In the last minute, they then added an explosive player. Moore is a strong athlete who can get open short and deep, so I believe he can contribute in all of these areas. Moore has proven to be the Chiefs’ stand-in short-area target in brief bursts.
The Chiefs have attempted to include Moore more during the year despite the fact that he is still a developing player, including several 6 target weeks as the underneath option. In half-PPR leagues, one of those weeks even led to a WR36 overall finish. Juju Smith-Schuster has reached eight or more targets in half of his 16 games, so there is still a ton of space for improvement in that position. Although he didn’t put up exceptional stats, he did finish the year as the 28th-best wide receiver, and Moore or a similar player would be a better fit for that position.
