Who Should I Start? Travis Kelce or Michael Mayer

Wednesday, December 24, 4:42 PM

Kansas City Chiefs tight end Travis Kelce could be heavily involved on Christmas Day against the Denver Broncos. Kelce caught one pass for six yards on four targets in Week 16, giving fantasy managers one of his most disappointing performances of the season. With the Chiefs already eliminated from playoff contention, there is little left to play for except legacy. The 36-year-old tight end has not explicitly stated that this is his last season with the team, but there has been speculation that he could hang it up after this year. If Kelce does plan to retire this offseason, Christmas Day at Arrowhead could be Kelce's last home game of his career. Given the inexperience of Chris Oladokun at quarterback, Kelce could operate close to the line of scrimmage and act as a release valve for the QB. Kelce will also have to deal with one of the best defenses in the league, the Denver Broncos. Despite giving up the fifth-fewest points per game this season, the Broncos defense has been relatively soft against tight ends. Kelce is ranked TE18 in our RotoBaller Half-PPR rankings, making him a low-end TE2 option for fantasy managers this Thursday.

Friday, December 19, 11:58 PM

Las Vegas Raiders tight end Michael Mayer remains off the fantasy radar ahead of Week 16 against the Houston Texans. Mayer was productive during his short stint as the team's starting tight end earlier this season, but he fell off the fantasy radar when superstar tight end Brock Bowers returned to the mix mid-year. Mayer has dealt with his own injury problems, too, as the 24-year-old was sidelined for Weeks 13 and 14. In his return to action last week, he played just 19% of the offensive snaps and wasn't targeted in Vegas' Kenny Pickett-led offense. Geno Smith will return as the Raiders' starting quarterback this upcoming Sunday, but that shouldn't change Mayer's fantasy outlook much. He is averaging just 2.0 catches, 15.3 yards, and zero touchdowns in games where Bowers is active.