Who Should I Start? Colby Parkinson or Michael Mayer

Monday, August 24, 8:06 AM

Sports Illustrated's Albert Breer writes that Los Angeles Rams tight end Colby Parkinson is "leading a deep, versatile tight end group." The Rams also have Tyler Higbee, Terrance Ferguson, Davis Allen, and rookie Max Klare at the position, and they ran the highest percentage of three-tight-end sets in the league last year. The 27-year-old Parkinson set career highs across the board with 43 receptions on 56 targets for 408 yards and eight touchdowns in 2025 in 15 regular-season games in his sixth year in the NFL (second with the Rams). It was a nice season for Parkinson, but even in one of the league's highest-scoring offenses, fantasy managers should not expect a repeat for him in 2026. It is a crowded TE room, and Ferguson probably has the most short- and long-term pass-catching upside of the group in an offense in which receivers Puka Nacua and Davante Adams dominate targets from quarterback Matthew Stafford. At best, Parkinson should be considered a touchdown-dependent TE2 in fantasy football leagues, and there will surely be a lot of volatility on a week-to-week basis.