Who Should I Start? Michael Mayer or Harold Fannin Jr.

Friday, December 19, 11:58 PM

Las Vegas Raiders tight end Michael Mayer remains off the fantasy radar ahead of Week 16 against the Houston Texans. Mayer was productive during his short stint as the team's starting tight end earlier this season, but he fell off the fantasy radar when superstar tight end Brock Bowers returned to the mix mid-year. Mayer has dealt with his own injury problems, too, as the 24-year-old was sidelined for Weeks 13 and 14. In his return to action last week, he played just 19% of the offensive snaps and wasn't targeted in Vegas' Kenny Pickett-led offense. Geno Smith will return as the Raiders' starting quarterback this upcoming Sunday, but that shouldn't change Mayer's fantasy outlook much. He is averaging just 2.0 catches, 15.3 yards, and zero touchdowns in games where Bowers is active.

Friday, December 26, 4:19 PM

According to Mary Kay Cabot of Cleveland.com, Cleveland Browns tight end Harold Fannin Jr. (groin) is expected to play on Sunday despite being listed as questionable. Fannin suffered a groin injury during Friday's practice session but told reporters that he expects to be cleared to face the Steelers. Fantasy managers should continue to closely monitor his status, but it appears the 21-year-old has avoided a major injury. Over the last four weeks, Fannin has taken a significant step forward in his development and has emerged as a weekly TE1 for fantasy. During this four-game stretch, the Bowling Green product has averaged an impressive 17.5 PPR points per game with 9.0 targets per game. With David Njoku (knee) already ruled out, Fannin should see another hefty target share if cleared to suit up.