Who Should I Start? Evan Engram or Michael Mayer

Sunday, September 13, 5:44 AM

Denver Broncos tight end Evan Engram is a riskier play for Week 1 against the Kansas City Chiefs. After two seasons outside the top 28 fantasy tight ends, Engram remains a strong candidate to be benched in deeper redraft leagues. Alternatively, he can be left on the waiver wire in shallower leagues. Last year, during his first campaign in Denver, Engram caught 50 passes for 461 yards, but he scored just one touchdown. An increase in touchdowns would prop up his 2026 fantasy projections by a decent amount, but we're still not sold on him as a fantasy starter. His target share is only expected to decline after the Broncos' trade for Jaylen Waddle, putting him somewhere between third and fifth in the pecking order. He's certainly behind Waddle and Courtland Sutton, but he could lose key volume to wide receivers Pat Bryant and Troy Franklin. It also doesn't help that Engram is going up against the Chiefs, who allowed the fifth-fewest fantasy points to tight ends in 2025. As it stands, Engram ranks as the TE24 in RotoBaller's latest Week 1 fantasy football rankings.