Who Should I Start? Isaiah Likely or Michael Mayer

Wednesday, September 3, 3:13 PM

Baltimore Ravens tight end Isaiah Likely (foot) was not seen practicing on Wednesday with the rest of the team, according to Jeff Zrebiec of The Athletic. Likely was on the field early and was talking with head coach John Harbaugh, but then he went inside early. The 25-year-old tight end has not practiced since having surgery to fix a small fracture in his left foot that he suffered near the start of training camp at the end of July, and he's not expected to be available for Week 1 this Sunday night against the Buffalo Bills. However, the Ravens are still expecting Likely to be available early in the season, which is why he avoided Injured Reserve to start the year. Likely will likely be ruled out for Week 1 on Friday, which means fellow TE Mark Andrews should be a must-start TE1 in fantasy lineups to kick things off as one of quarterback Lamar Jackson's most trusted targets.

Thursday, August 7, 3:53 PM

ESPN's Ryan McFadden reports that Las Vegas Raiders tight end Michael Mayer has been a standout in training camp. The Notre Dame product flashed during his rookie campaign, but the addition of Brock Bowers in 2024 was a detriment to Mayer's playing time. While Bowers and new quarterback Geno Smith have quickly gotten on the same page, Mayer has had an excellent camp of his own. The 24-year-old has been an offensive standout since OTAs, per McFadden, who also notes offensive coordinator Chip Kelly has "big plans" for him in 2025. There are undoubtedly targets up for grabs in the Raiders' offense, and Mayer may play a nice role for them. However, that translating to fantasy isn't a guarantee. Bowers and wide receiver Jakobi Meyers are worth rostering for now, but Mayer will have to impress in preseason action before he's worthy of fantasy managers' attention in drafts.