Who Should I Start? Cole Kmet or Michael Mayer


Week 1 Projections

Fant.
Pts.
Rush.
Yds.
Rush
TD
Rec. Rec.
Yds.
Rec
TD
4.2 0.0 0.0 1.6 17.9 0.1

Cole Kmet News

Cole Kmet Is Getting Harder to Draft

Sunday, August 23, 10:46 AM

Chicago Bears tight end Cole Kmet is getting harder to make a redraft case for. He caught 30 passes for 347 yards and two touchdowns last season, and his offensive snap share fell from 88% in 2024 to 70%. Colston Loveland was the bigger problem. The 2025 first-rounder led Chicago with 58 catches for 713 yards and six touchdowns as a rookie, and nothing this summer suggests the passing-game pecking order is changing. Loveland caught another red-zone touchdown from Caleb Williams during Thursday's joint practice with Cincinnati, then had a 10-yard reception on the starters' only drive Saturday night. Chicago also used the 69th overall pick on Sam Roush, giving an offense that already leans heavily on two- and three-tight-end sets another option. Kmet can still play plenty because of his blocking, but that does not guarantee enough targets for fantasy. RotoBaller has him at TE40 and 285th overall in PPR. Unless Loveland misses time, Kmet looks more like depth than a tight end fantasy managers need to draft.


Week 1 Projections

Fant.
Pts.
Rush.
Yds.
Rush
TD
Rec. Rec.
Yds.
Rec
TD
5.0 0.0 0.0 2.2 21.3 0.1

Michael Mayer News

Michael Mayer's Fantasy Outlook Dependent on Teammate's Health

Tuesday, August 25, 8:41 PM

Las Vegas Raiders tight end Michael Mayer is one of the more talented backups in the NFL, but his fantasy relevance has been put on hold as long as he remains in the No. 2 role. Mayer is currently the backup to superstar tight end Brock Bowers, which means that his only real path to fantasy production is an injury to Bowers. We did see that come into play last year, as Mayer totaled 18 catches, 196 yards, and one touchdown across four games without Bowers. That came with Geno Smith at quarterback, so all pass catchers should have a higher ceiling this year with Kirk Cousins or Fernando Mendoza. The quarterback upgrade still isn't enough for managers to justify drafting Mayer, but he's a name to watch on the waiver wire and a potential deep-league dynasty stash in case Bowers has to miss any time.


Cole Kmet vs. Michael Mayer

Still trying to decide between Kmet and Mayer? Check on the latest news to make sure both players are active and healthy. Our PPR projections show that Cole Kmet is projected to score 4.2 points this week while Michael Mayer is projected to score 5.0 points.