Who Should I Start? Noah Fant or Michael Mayer

Saturday, November 22, 1:49 PM

Cincinnati Bengals tight end Noah Fant has enjoyed an uptick in production of late. He scored a touchdown in two of his previous four appearances. The 28-year-old is also coming off his second five-catch game of the season. With that said, Mike Gesicki (pectoral) was activated from the Injured Reserve list and is set to make his return for Sunday's matchup with the Patriots. With Ja'Marr Chase sidelined for that one in order to serve a one-game suspension, there will be additional targets up for grabs behind Tee Higgins. Although Gesicki is reportedly in line for a more prominent role in Week 12, it appears Fant has a good thing going with Joe Flacco, meaning the duo may continue to connect. While Gesicki's presence significantly lowers Fants' ceiling, it's hard to imagine he'll go away completely, giving him some upside for desperate, deep-league fantasy managers.

Thursday, December 11, 10:26 PM

Las Vegas Raiders tight end Michael Mayer (ankle) was a full participant in practice on Thursday. This was an upgrade for the backup tight end after he logged a limited practice session on Wednesday. Mayer is working his way back from a two-game absence, and it looks like he should suit up against the Philadelphia Eagles in Week 15, barring any sort of setback. The 24-year-old is one of the better backup tight ends in the NFL, but he still doesn't handle enough volume in his role behind Brock Bowers to justify starting him in fantasy football. To make matters worse, Mayer will likely be catching passes from Kenny Pickett this week with Geno Smith (shoulder, back) not expected to play.