Who Should I Start? Cade Otton or Michael Mayer

Monday, January 13, 12:34 AM

Tampa Bay Buccaneers tight end Cade Otton caught two passes for 32 yards during Sunday's playoff loss to the Washington Commanders. The 25-year-old returned from a three-game absence this weekend, but he didn't have a major impact as the Buccaneers threw the ball just 18 times. Otton was once again overlooked as Baker Mayfield preferred throwing to wide receivers Mike Evans and Jalen McMillan. The 25-year-old finished as the overall TE14 in 2024, which was the best mark of his career and was also impressive given that he missed a trio of contests. Otton, who had 600 yards and four touchdowns during the regular season, will look to build on his production even further as he pushes to be a top-12 tight end. Fantasy managers should treat him as such, albeit on the fringe around No. 12. Managers who draft Otton in 2025 should feel comfortable with him in their starting tight end slot.

Saturday, March 1, 12:17 PM

According to league sources, the Las Vegas Raiders have had discussions with teams who have interest in tight end Michael Mayer. The team's second-round selection in 2023, Mayer hasn't had the type of impact the Raiders were hoping for, which is why they took Brock Bowers in the first round in 2024. Not only did Bowers become a first-team All-Pro in his rookie season, but Mayer had only 27 catches for 304 yards and two touchdowns in 14 games in his first year in 2023. He missed six games last season due to personal reasons and was barely heard from as Bowers excelled. It makes more sense for Vegas to trade Mayer for assets, and since he'll be on a team-friendly deal for two more years, there should be several teams that are interested. Mayer was completely off the fantasy radar in 2024, but he could resurface as a sleeper if he's traded to a team that utilizes him much more as a pass-catcher.