Who Should I Start? Michael Mayer or Brenton Strange

Thursday, December 11, 10:26 PM

Las Vegas Raiders tight end Michael Mayer (ankle) was a full participant in practice on Thursday. This was an upgrade for the backup tight end after he logged a limited practice session on Wednesday. Mayer is working his way back from a two-game absence, and it looks like he should suit up against the Philadelphia Eagles in Week 15, barring any sort of setback. The 24-year-old is one of the better backup tight ends in the NFL, but he still doesn't handle enough volume in his role behind Brock Bowers to justify starting him in fantasy football. To make matters worse, Mayer will likely be catching passes from Kenny Pickett this week with Geno Smith (shoulder, back) not expected to play.

Sunday, December 14, 1:14 AM

Despite beginning the season with a strong role in the offense, Jacksonville Jaguars tight end Brenton Strange has taken a slight step back recently in terms of production. The third-year pro missed a stretch of five games earlier in the year due to a hip injury. While Strange has remained involved, commanding 15 targets over the previous three games since his return, new teammate Jakobi Meyers has hampered his upside. Furthermore, wideout Brian Thomas Jr. figures to see an uptick in work as he's further removed from an ankle injury. Strange may be a critical piece of the Jags' attack, although too many mouths to feed in an offense that ranks in the bottom 12 of the league in pass rate (54.52%) makes him a riskier option than earlier in the campaign.