Who Should I Start? Michael Mayer or Ja'Tavion Sanders
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
Wednesday, July 22, 5:20 PM
Las Vegas Raiders tight end Michael Mayer put together a career-year last season. Across 13 games, Mayer hauled in 35 receptions for 328 receiving yards and one touchdown. Both the receptions and yardage are career highs for the 25-year-old. His overall ceiling is going to be limited because Brock Bowers is ahead of him on the depth chart. The good news for Mayer is that new head coach Klint Kubiak deploys a two tight end set at the same time. The assumption is that more time on the field will lead to more involvement in the offense for Mayer. He's not someone who needs to be rostered in 12-team formats to start the season. However, he'll be a popular waiver wire candidate if Bowers ever goes down.
Week 1 Projections
| Fant. Pts. |
Rush. Yds. |
Rush TD |
Rec. | Rec. Yds. |
Rec TD |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 3.8 | 0.0 | 0.0 | 1.8 | 14.2 | 0.1 |
Ja'Tavion Sanders News
Friday, July 24, 5:39 AM
Carolina Panthers tight end Ja'Tavion Sanders was limited to only 12 games in 2025 as he dealt with a high-ankle sprain early in the year before breaking his fibula in Week 17. While he showed some promising flashes, whether because of his injuries or an offensive system that has not asked much of its tight ends in the passing game, Sanders was never a consistent contributor, failing to reach 35 receiving yards in any game after Week 2 and being held out of the end zone until Week 16. Sanders is fully recovered from his late-season injury, and while the Panthers did not make any meaningful additions to the position through free agency or the draft, head coach Dave Canales has never had a tight end reach 50 receptions, 500 yards, or five touchdowns in his time as play caller for either the Panthers or Buccaneers. Despite his obvious physical abilities, any calls for a Year 3 breakout from Sanders involve a fair amount of wishful projection, and he is likely a player that will start the year on waivers in most 2026 redraft leagues.
Michael Mayer vs. Ja'Tavion Sanders
Still trying to decide between Mayer and Sanders? 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 Ja'Tavion Sanders is projected to score 3.8 points.
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