MichaelMayer

News: 6 days agoMayer caught one of two targets for 14 yards in Sunday's 25-10 win over the Saints.

Spin: Mayer logged 75 percent of the Raiders' offensive snaps, but he managed to catch only one pass while rookie tight end Brock Bowers posted a 7-77-0 receiving line on seven targets, setting multiple season records in the process. Mayer's snap share figures to remain elevated against the Chargers in Las Vegas' finale, but playing time hasn't equated to receiving production for him over the past three weeks.

ESPN Fantasy Projection: The learning curve for tight ends at the NFL level can be lengthy, and Mayer's 2023 was representative of that. He began playing sparingly behind Austin Hooper, but over his final nine games, he played 82% of the Raiders' offensive snaps, averaged 21.8 routes, 3.9 targets and 6.9 fantasy points per game, before a toe issue cost him the season's final three weeks. That might have been a stepping stone to bigger things for Mayer, until the team added free agent Harrison Bryant, then drafted Brock Bowers 13th overall in April, greatly clouding the sophomore's 2024 outlook. On a skills basis, Mayer possesses plenty of upside, but he might need a change of scenery to claim the playing time needed to be fantasy-relevant.