Who Should I Start? Baker Mayfield or Brock Bowers
Week 1 Projections
| Fant. Pts. |
Rush. Yds. |
Rush TD |
Rec. | Rec. Yds. |
Rec TD |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 23.8 | 19.4 | 0.1 | 0.0 | 0.0 | 0.0 |
Baker Mayfield News
Tuesday, September 8, 7:01 PM
Tampa Bay Buccaneers quarterback Baker Mayfield signed a three-year extension with the Bucs on Thursday and enters the 2026 season with a bit of a chip on his shoulder after finishing the 2025 season as the QB17 on a points-per-game basis (17th) after finishing as the QB4 in 2024. Mayfield dealt with a handful of injuries last season and finished the year throwing for 3,693 yards, 26 touchdowns, and 11 interceptions. He also contributed on the ground with 382 rushing yards, giving him a safe floor to go with his passing volume. Mayfield has a strong matchup in Week 1, going up against the Cincinnati Bengals, who ranked bottom 10 against opposing quarterbacks last season, allowing roughly 19.1 fantasy points per game to the position. Second-year standout receiver Emeka Egbuka (toe) appears to be trending toward playing in Week 1 to go along with another of Mayfield's go-to targets, Chris Godwin. Mayfield is being drafted as a QB2 in most formats, but his Week 1 matchup may be too good to pass up. Fantasy managers looking to stream a quarterback in Week 1 should look Mayfield's way.
Week 1 Projections
| Fant. Pts. |
Rush. Yds. |
Rush TD |
Rec. | Rec. Yds. |
Rec TD |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 10.0 | 0.4 | 0.0 | 3.9 | 41.2 | 0.3 |
Brock Bowers News
Wednesday, September 9, 12:10 PM
Las Vegas Raiders tight end Brock Bowers (knee) underwent a meniscus trim on Tuesday and is now expected to miss "a game or two," per ESPN's Adam Schefter. Schefter reports that Bowers got banged up "a little" in training camp and that the surgery was scheduled last week. While the initial return timeline for Bowers sounds relatively positive, this surprise surgery is still a worrying development for fantasy managers. The star tight end's 2025 production was down across the board after he suffered a PCL sprain in his left knee in Week 1. Bowers attempted to play through the injury for much of the season before eventually being placed on Injured Reserve in December. It appears the Raiders are being a bit more proactive this time around, which could help Bowers get back to full strength more quickly. Still, fantasy managers may want to downgrade their expectations for his production, at least initially upon his return. With Bowers sidelined, Raiders tight end Michael Mayer will likely play a larger role in the Las Vegas passing game.
Baker Mayfield vs. Brock Bowers
Still trying to decide between Mayfield and Bowers? Check on the latest news to make sure both players are active and healthy. Our PPR projections show that Baker Mayfield is projected to score 23.8 points this week while Brock Bowers is projected to score 10.0 points.
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