Who Should I Start? Michael Mayer or Eli Stowers
Week 1 Projections
| Fant. Pts. |
Rush. Yds. |
Rush TD |
Rec. | Rec. Yds. |
Rec TD |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 5.0 | 0.0 | 0.0 | 2.2 | 21.3 | 0.1 |
Michael Mayer News
Monday, July 6, 5:14 PM
Las Vegas Raiders tight end Brock Bowers should be the focal point of new head coach Klint Kubiak's offense in 2026, but Kubiak's deployment of two tight ends on the field at the same time could help Michael Mayer's production as the top TE backup, according to Sam Warren of The Athletic. Beyond Bowers and Mayer, Ian Thomas and Carter Runyan could battle for the TE3 job in training camp this summer. Mayer, who was taken in the second round (35th overall) in 2023 out of Notre Dame, caught a career-high 35 passes on 50 targets for 328 yards and only one touchdown in 13 games (12 starts) for the Raiders in 2025 in his third year in the league. He was on the TE streaming radar with Bowers missing some time with injuries last year, but in the end, Mayer's numbers left a lot to be desired. His ceiling will obviously be capped because of Bowers' presence, but he could threaten for even more production if Kubiak involves him more as a pass-catcher alongside Bowers. Mayer should go undrafted in standard 12-team leagues, but if Bowers misses more time with an injury in 2026, he'll be a priority waiver-wire pickup at the position.
Week 1 Projections
| Fant. Pts. |
Rush. Yds. |
Rush TD |
Rec. | Rec. Yds. |
Rec TD |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 3.3 | 0.1 | 0.0 | 1.4 | 14.5 | 0.1 |
Eli Stowers News
Saturday, July 4, 5:13 AM
Philadelphia Eagles rookie tight end Eli Stowers will be a piece of the puzzle in replacing A.J. Brown's team-leading 120 targets from a season ago. How big a piece remains to be seen, but indications ahead of this month's training camp suggest that the second-round pick out of Vanderbilt remains clearly behind Dallas Goedert and Johnny Mundt as the third tight end on the depth chart. Goedert led the Eagles with 11 touchdowns in 2025, while Mundt was signed to a one-year deal this offseason for what he provides as a blocker, an area of Stowers' game that will need to see notable improvement before he can earn anything close to a full-time role. At 6'3" and 239 pounds, Stowers is likely to work primarily as a jumbo slot as a rookie, but with an apparent leg injury limiting him for parts of minicamp, he still has a ways to go before fantasy managers should expect consistent contributions. Still entirely capable of developing into the top pass-catching tight end in a deep rookie class, Stowers is a wise dynasty investment with plenty of room for long-term growth, but as RotoBaller's TE37, he is unlikely to factor into drafts for 2026 redraft leagues.
Michael Mayer vs. Eli Stowers
Still trying to decide between Mayer and Stowers? Check on the latest news to make sure both players are active and healthy. Our PPR projections show that Michael Mayer is projected to score 5.0 points this week while Eli Stowers is projected to score 3.3 points.
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