Who Should I Start? Tyler Higbee or Michael Mayer

Monday, December 22, 4:35 PM

Head Coach Sean McVay said that the Los Angeles Rams will not activate tight end Tyler Higbee (ankle) from injured reserve for Monday night's matchup against the Atlanta Falcons in Week 17, according to Sarah Barshop of ESPN. Higbee was placed on injured reserve due to an ankle injury he sustained in Week 11 against the Seattle Seahawks. The 32-year-old was eligible to return to play in Week 16 but will remain on injured reserve. Before his injury, Higbee had hauled in 20 catches for 190 receiving yards and two touchdowns on 30 targets. In his absence, Colby Parkinson has stepped into the TE1 role for the Rams offense and has been a reliable streaming option for fantasy managers. With a playoff spot secured, the Rams will want to make sure Higbee is fully healthy before rushing him back into action.

Monday, December 29, 9:33 AM

Las Vegas Raiders third-year player out of Notre Dame, Michael Mayer, stepped in for the injured Brock Bowers (knee) on Sunday, and dominated, hauling in nine of his 10 targets for 89 yards. The 10 targets were the most on the team, with Tre Tucker with the second most at six targets. With Bowers landing on the Injured Reserve and set to miss the rest of the 2025 season, Mayer will have an opportunity to continue to showcase his skill set for one more game before the regular season is over. Entering Week 18, Mayer will be in the low-end TE1 conversation against the Kansas City Chiefs, who also have had their fair share of injuries. The biggest question to monitor with Mayer would be whether Geno Smith (ankle) or Kenny Pickett will be throwing him passes. Regardless, Mayer should dominate target share, and because of that, find himself as a valuable fantasy asset in most 12-team or larger leagues.