Who Should I Start? Michael Mayer or Darnell Washington

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.

Tuesday, November 18, 10:18 PM

Pittsburgh Steelers tight end Darnell Washington logged four receptions for 67 yards on five targets in a 34-12 win over the Cincinnati Bengals. While Washington didn't have an incredibly productive fantasy outing, he made plenty of noise with a massive play in the second quarter that set up a Steelers field goal. Washington caught a short pass from quarterback Aaron Rodgers (wrist) and ran through three defenders to gain 31 yards before stepping out of bounds. He later picked up 17 yards on a throw from backup quarterback Mason Rudolph. It will be hard to trust Pittsburgh's offense against the Chicago Bears in Week 12, especially if Rodgers is unable to play, but Washington has looked great when given opportunities this year and could be worth stashing in deeper fantasy leagues.