Who Should I Start? Dawson Knox or Michael Mayer


Week 1 Projections

Fant.
Pts.
Rush.
Yds.
Rush
TD
Rec. Rec.
Yds.
Rec
TD
4.6 0.0 0.0 1.7 19.3 0.2

Dawson Knox News

Dawson Knox Needs Touchdowns to Matter in Redraft

Sunday, August 9, 11:46 AM

Buffalo Bills tight end Dawson Knox stayed involved last season, catching 36 passes for 417 yards and four touchdowns across 17 games. He was especially useful near the goal line, drawing 12 red-zone targets and scoring on four of them. The issue is what happens if Dalton Kincaid gets a healthier season and a larger role. Kincaid managed 39 catches for 571 yards and five scores in only 12 games in 2025, and he said this spring that he feels better physically than he has in years. Buffalo also picked up Kincaid's fifth-year option. Knox isn't going anywhere after agreeing to a new deal through 2028, and his blocking keeps him on the field plenty. That does not guarantee enough targets for fantasy. RotoBaller has Knox 255th overall in half-PPR, which is deep-draft territory. Unless Kincaid misses time, Knox looks more like a touchdown-dependent TE3 than someone to target in standard redraft leagues.


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 Returns to Practice Following Nose Injury

Thursday, August 6, 10:16 AM

Las Vegas Raiders tight end Michael Mayer (nose) returned to training camp practice on Thursday, according to Sam Warren of The Athletic. Mayer missed a few practices after busting his nose during practice on Monday. The 25-year-old will return to working as the No. 2 tight end in Vegas behind Brock Bowers. The former second-rounder in 2023 from Notre Dame has yet to really make an impact for fantasy managers in his first three seasons in the NFL, and that will likely continue as long as Bowers stays healthy. Bowers dealt with a knee injury last year, which allowed Mayer to have career highs in catches (35), targets (50), and receiving yards (328) while scoring just once in 13 games played. The Raiders figure to use more two-tight-end sets in 2026 under new head coach Klint Kubiak, but that's unlikely to be enough to make Mayer a weekly starting option, even in two-TE fantasy leagues. Mayer opens his fourth NFL season ranked as RotoBaller's No. 35 fantasy TE. If Bowers misses time with an injury again, Mayer would become a priority waiver-wire addition.


Dawson Knox vs. Michael Mayer

Still trying to decide between Knox and Mayer? Check on the latest news to make sure both players are active and healthy. Our PPR projections show that Dawson Knox is projected to score 4.6 points this week while Michael Mayer is projected to score 5.0 points.