Las Vegas Raiders tight end Michael Mayer started the 2026 NFL season off on a positive note. Mayer finished second on the team in receiving yards with 32 in the Raiders’ 27-13 win over the Miami Dolphins, and has momentum heading into Week 2 as a player who may be too good to sit in fantasy football.
Sports Illustrated tabbed Mayer as being a player to start for the week at hand
in fantasy football at the tight end slot.“Mayer was targeted seven times and caught six passes in the Raiders' win over the Dolphins, and he also saw a team-high 24.3% of the targets in the Las Vegas offense. Assuming Brock Bowers (knee) is unable to return to action this week, I’d start Mayer in a plus matchup against the Chargers. Their defense was smoked by Trey
McBride in Week 1 (I know, I know, he smokes most defenses), but Mayer is a nice option if Bowers is out again.”
Raiders coach Klint Kubiak did a great job of putting his players in position to succeed in the team’s season opener, including Mayer who put up a team-leading six catches. That figures to be the case against a Chargers team that allowed Cardinals tight end Trey McBride to go for 95 receiving yards and a touchdown on nine receptions in Week 1.
Behind Kubiak’s schematics, as well as Raiders quarterback Kirk Cousins’ track record of success connecting with tight ends and Brock Bowers dealing with a knee injury, Mayer figures to have another big game against the Chargers in a game that the Raiders have a good chance of pulling off an upset in.
This article originally appeared on Raiders Wire: Is Raiders TE Michael Mayer must start fantasy football TE in Week 2?
