Who Should I Start? Michael Mayer or Tucker Kraft

Tuesday, October 14, 9:34 AM

Las Vegas Raiders tight end Michael Mayer returned from his concussion and stepped right into a key role for the Raiders in their Week 6 win over the Titans. He filled in for the injured Brock Bowers (knee) and played 92% of the team's offensive snaps, catching five of his team-high seven targets for 50 yards and a touchdown. If Bowers is out again in Week 7, which seems likely to be the case, Mayer will be an outstanding tight end option for the Raiders' divisional matchup with the Chiefs. The Chiefs have been very good against tight ends overall this year, but Sam LaPorta did have a good showing against them on Sunday Night Football, which could indicate a good game is coming for Mayer if he stays so involved in Week 7. Mayer should be owned in all leagues and can be a TE1 if Bowers is ruled out.

Friday, October 10, 4:26 PM

Green Bay Packers tight end Tucker Kraft has had a solid start to his second season as the full-time starting tight end for the Packers and looks to come off the team's Week 5 bye on the right foot when the Packers host the Cincinnati Bengals in Week 6. In Week 4, Kraft could only manage five targets with five receptions for 56 yards against the Cowboys in Green Bay's 40-40 tie. Kraft has been one of the best pass-catchers on the team this season, but even he is not immune to some of the things that plague the Packers' offense, like a lack of target concentration and pass volume concerns. Those factors bog down the upside case of the top Packers' pass-catchers and render the secondary pass-catchers irrelevant in most weeks. Kraft is a volatile boom-or-bust option with an inconsistent target-earning profile, but Week 6 represents a good matchup against the Bengals. Kraft is a fine start for fantasy purposes.