Who Should I Start? Cole Kmet or Michael Mayer
Week 1 Projections
| Fant. Pts. |
Rush. Yds. |
Rush TD |
Rec. | Rec. Yds. |
Rec TD |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 0.0 | 0.0 | 0.0 | 0.0 | 0.0 | 0.0 |
Cole Kmet News
Sunday, June 21, 5:50 AM
Despite leading the team in total snaps at the position, by the end of the 2025 season, Chicago Bears tight end Cole Kmet had clearly been overtaken by rookie Colston Loveland. With Chicago operating out of multi-tight end sets at one of the league's highest rates, Kmet is still expected to be a major part of the team's base offense in 2026, but from a fantasy perspective, he is now well behind Loveland and an exciting pair of young receivers in Rome Odunze and Luther Burden III. An incredibly durable player throughout his six-year career, Kmet finished as the TE7 in both 2022 and 2023 on the strength of full availability and 13 touchdown receptions over those two years, but he has not since reached 50 receptions or 500 yards. Still only 27 years old, he remains a dynasty hold for his unique insurance upside, but under contract for two more seasons, RotoBaller's TE50 will not reach free agency and a potentially beneficial change of scenery until 2028.
Week 1 Projections
| Fant. Pts. |
Rush. Yds. |
Rush TD |
Rec. | Rec. Yds. |
Rec TD |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 0.0 | 0.0 | 0.0 | 0.0 | 0.0 | 0.0 |
Michael Mayer News
Monday, July 6, 5:14 PM
Las Vegas Raiders tight end Brock Bowers should be the focal point of new head coach Klint Kubiak's offense in 2026, but Kubiak's deployment of two tight ends on the field at the same time could help Michael Mayer's production as the top TE backup, according to Sam Warren of The Athletic. Beyond Bowers and Mayer, Ian Thomas and Carter Runyan could battle for the TE3 job in training camp this summer. Mayer, who was taken in the second round (35th overall) in 2023 out of Notre Dame, caught a career-high 35 passes on 50 targets for 328 yards and only one touchdown in 13 games (12 starts) for the Raiders in 2025 in his third year in the league. He was on the TE streaming radar with Bowers missing some time with injuries last year, but in the end, Mayer's numbers left a lot to be desired. His ceiling will obviously be capped because of Bowers' presence, but he could threaten for even more production if Kubiak involves him more as a pass-catcher alongside Bowers. Mayer should go undrafted in standard 12-team leagues, but if Bowers misses more time with an injury in 2026, he'll be a priority waiver-wire pickup at the position.
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 0.0 points this week while Michael Mayer is projected to score 0.0 points.
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