Who Should I Start? Michael Mayer or Tucker Kraft

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.

Thursday, June 12, 12:02 PM

Green Bay Packers quarterback Jordan Love said specifically that tight end Tucker Kraft's usage is a major point of focus this spring during offseason workouts. Kraft took a big jump from his rookie season in 2023 to last year, catching 50 of 70 targets for 707 yards and seven touchdowns in 17 regular-season starts as Green Bay's primary pass-catching tight end. He had just 31 receptions for 355 yards and two scores in 17 games (eight starts) in 2023 while splitting snaps with Luke Musgrave. It helped that Musgrave missed 10 games with an ankle injury last year, but Kraft should operate as the team's TE1 in 2025, and he's certainly an intriguing low-end TE1 target in fantasy drafts with upside for more because of his yards-after-the-catch prowess. The 24-year-old former third-rounder (78th overall) in 2023 out of South Dakota State is ranked as RotoBaller's No. 11 fantasy tight end.