Who Should I Start? Kyle Pitts or Michael Mayer

Thursday, July 24, 1:31 PM

Atlanta Falcons quarterback Michael Penix Jr. started his training camp press conference on Thursday making sure that everyone noticed how they got tight end Kyle Pitts involved at practice. "See we got KP the ball? Gonna be a lot of that," Penix said. Pitts missed offseason work this spring due to a foot injury, but he's been cleared at training camp and worked with the team on Thursday. Fantasy managers that have burned by Pitts before are probably rolling their eyes and will want to see it to believe it in 2025. The 24-year-old former fourth overall pick in 2021 out of Florida had a 1,000-yard season but only one touchdown in his rookie campaign but hasn't gone over 667 yards in the last three years. Pitts is healthy now, and the Falcons expect big things from him, but Penix targeted him just 10 times in his three starts to close out 2024. Target Pitts as a TE2 in fantasy with the possibility of a bounce back.

Monday, June 30, 9:19 PM

The Las Vegas Review-Journal's Vincent Bonsignore reports that the Las Vegas Raiders are not interested in trading tight end Michael Mayer. It comes after reports that the Miami Dolphins were interested in acquiring Mayer from the Raiders after trading tight end Jonnu Smith to the Pittsburgh Steelers on Monday. Mayer is scheduled to make $1.6 million in 2025 and $2 million in 2026 and took a back seat in 2024 to rookie Brock Bowers, catching just 21 of 32 targets for 156 yards and no touchdowns in 11 games (eight starts) in his second year in the NFL. The 23-year-old Notre Dame product caught 27 passes for 304 yards and two touchdowns as a rookie. There have been reports suggesting he'll have a bigger role in 2025 in two-tight end sets in new offensive coordinator Chip Kelly's scheme, but as long as Bowers is healthy, he'll be the second fiddle at the position if he stays in Vegas.