Who Should I Start? Michael Mayer or AJ Barner

Tuesday, November 18, 9:31 PM

Las Vegas Raiders tight end Michael Mayer is often overlooked due to the presence of his star teammate and fellow tight end Brock Bowers. However, Mayer has maintained a consistent role in his team's passing game even since Bowers returned in Week 9 from a knee injury that forced him to miss multiple games. Over the last three weeks, Mayer has recorded nine catches for 61 yards on 15 targets. While the overall ineptitude of the Raiders' offense limits Mayer's upside, his stable target volume provides a decent floor in PPR fantasy leagues. He's not worth a starting spot in the vast majority of fantasy formats, but Mayer could be a player to monitor in deep leagues.

Monday, November 17, 10:38 PM

Seattle Seahawks tight end AJ Barner had a breakout game in Week 11 against the Los Angeles Rams, recording 10 catches for 70 yards on 11 targets. The 23-year-old's high-volume outing was a major surprise, as he's cracked four targets just one other time across 10 games played in 2025. Overall, Barner has hauled in 31 catches for 306 yards and four touchdowns on 37 targets. Fantasy managers should not expect double-digit targets for Barner every week, but he's emerged as the most-trusted tight end in a very potent Seattle passing game. As a touchdown-dependent streamer, Barner could have some value in the right matchups in deeper formats. He's worth targeting on the waiver wire in fantasy leagues with 14 or more teams heading into a Week 12 meeting with the Tennessee Titans.