Who Should I Start? Michael Mayer or Noah Gray

Monday, June 30, 9:19 PM

The Las Vegas Review-Journal's Vincent Bonsignore reports that the Las Vegas Raiders are not interested in trading tight end Michael Mayer. It comes after reports that the Miami Dolphins were interested in acquiring Mayer from the Raiders after trading tight end Jonnu Smith to the Pittsburgh Steelers on Monday. Mayer is scheduled to make $1.6 million in 2025 and $2 million in 2026 and took a back seat in 2024 to rookie Brock Bowers, catching just 21 of 32 targets for 156 yards and no touchdowns in 11 games (eight starts) in his second year in the NFL. The 23-year-old Notre Dame product caught 27 passes for 304 yards and two touchdowns as a rookie. There have been reports suggesting he'll have a bigger role in 2025 in two-tight end sets in new offensive coordinator Chip Kelly's scheme, but as long as Bowers is healthy, he'll be the second fiddle at the position if he stays in Vegas.

Saturday, January 25, 10:05 PM

Kansas City Chiefs tight end Noah Gray is a low-floor desperation play in this Sunday's Conference Championship bout with the Buffalo Bills. Gray had a stretch of four games in the middle of the season when he snagged four touchdowns and nabbed at least four passes per contest. However, he's since caught just eight balls while seeing his snap percentage drop roughly 10-20% per outing. The drop in playing time coincides with the return of wide receiver Marquise Brown, so it makes sense that the 25-year-old has had his work cut some. He'll still be eligible to catch a short-area TD or two, but by and large, is tough to trust from a volume standpoint in a passing attack that hasn't been all that effective this season. Gray can be safely avoided for fantasy purposes, even in a game that should feature a healthy amount of points.