Who Should I Start? Brock Bowers or AJ Barner
Week 1 Projections
| Fant. Pts. |
Rush. Yds. |
Rush TD |
Rec. | Rec. Yds. |
Rec TD |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 14.0 | 0.4 | 0.0 | 5.5 | 60.7 | 0.4 |
Brock Bowers News
Friday, August 14, 8:52 AM
Las Vegas Raiders tight end Brock Bowers wasn't on the field for long in Thursday night's preseason-opening loss to the visiting Arizona Cardinals, as he played just one offensive snap before coming out of the game. Veteran quarterback Kirk Cousins and running back Ashton Jeanty stayed in a bit longer with the starting offense, but the Raiders weren't going to take any chances with their star TE. The 23-year-old former 13th overall pick from the University of Georgia battled a knee injury last year and finished with only 64 receptions for 680 yards in 12 games, but he still managed to post a career-high seven touchdown receptions on 86 targets. It was a step back after his 112-1,194-5 line in 17 games as a rookie in 2024. With an improved QB situation with Cousins/rookie Fernando Mendoza in new head coach Klint Kubiak's offense, the sky is the limit for Bowers, which is why he's the consensus top fantasy football TE in most formats going into Year 3. Despite missing five games due to injury last year, Bowers still managed to finish as the TE10 in half-PPR scoring.
Week 1 Projections
| Fant. Pts. |
Rush. Yds. |
Rush TD |
Rec. | Rec. Yds. |
Rec TD |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 7.1 | 0.8 | 0.0 | 2.8 | 27.8 | 0.2 |
AJ Barner News
Tuesday, August 11, 6:33 AM
ESPN's Jeremy Fowler writes that Seattle Seahawks tight end AJ Barner is an "ascending" TE who "should come into his own in Year 3." Barner is finally healthy after multiple offseason surgeries, and new offensive coordinator Brian Fleury's scheme "should accelerate his progress." Fowler adds that Barner "can do a little bit of everything." The Seahawks will have two tight ends on the field "very, very often," according to Barner. The 24-year-old former fourth-rounder in 2024 from the University of Michigan took a step forward last year in his second season, catching 52 of 68 targets for 519 yards and six touchdowns in 17 regular-season games after posting a 30-245-4 line as a rookie. However, with second-year player Elijah Arroyo expected to be a much bigger part of Seattle's passing attack, Barner's fantasy value will likely come with a low ceiling as more of a touchdown-dependent TE2 streamer as long as Arroyo stays healthy. RotoBaller currently has Barner ranked as the No. 29 fantasy TE for the 2026 season, right behind Tampa Bay Buccaneers tight end Cade Otton.
Brock Bowers vs. AJ Barner
Still trying to decide between Bowers and Barner? Check on the latest news to make sure both players are active and healthy. Our PPR projections show that Brock Bowers is projected to score 14.0 points this week while AJ Barner is projected to score 7.1 points.
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