Michael

Mayer

Bryant, a highly productive college tight end who flashed in limited opportunity for the Browns, will be paired with Michael Mayer in 2024. A sure-handed, somewhat speedy player with after-the-catch ability, it wouldn’t be shocking if Bryant became the team’s primary pass-catching tight end. He posted 89/791/10 over four years in Cleveland.

Mayer’s rookie season comes to an end on a streak of three missed games because of the toe injury. He tallied 27 catches for 304 yards and two scores. Mayer began the season in a part-time role while playing behind Austin Hooper. He eventually usurped Hooper and started running more routes roughly midway through the season. Still, he topped four catches or 50 yards in a game once. Mayer was efficient by several measures, including yards per catch. He averaged 11 yards per grab, good for ninth among all tight ends. He has work to do as a blocker and will need to earn more routes in 2024, but Mayer will likely get some hype as a second-year breakout in the offseason.

Mayer has missed the past two games because of the toe issue. A DNP to open the week suggests he will also be sidelined for Week 18. Austin Hooper will draw the start if Mayer can’t suit up but is not on the fantasy radar to close the year.

Mayer appears all but certain to miss another game, this one against the Colts on Sunday. The promising rookie tight end has had a somewhat disappointing rookie campaign but remains an intriguing Dynasty league hold.

Mayer did not play last week because of the toe injury. Austin Hooper didn’t do anything with the elevated role, catching two passes for 13 yards. He is not on the fantasy radar regardless of Mayer’s health.

Mayer first appeared on the team’s injury report on Thursday with a toe injury and will ultimately be held out because of it. That should vault Austin Hooper into a near every-down role at tight end for the Raiders against the division-rival Chiefs.

This is the first we’ve heard of the toe injury. The rookie tight end will have two more chances to get on the practice field before the team’s Week 16 Monday Night Football showdown with the AFC-rival Chiefs. Mayer had worked his way up to a 94 percent snap rate prior to a reduced workload in Week 15, which could be due to the toe injury he now has listed.

Tonight was just the third time all season Mayer reached four catches. The touchdown was his second. It was an 11-yarder where he took advantage of a play fake to leak out unguarded into the flat. It made the score 28-0 in the second quarter of a contest the Raiders would go on to win 63-21. Good stuff, and another step forward for the talented rookie. Also not the kind of effort that screams TE2 streamer heading into a difficult Week 16 matchup with the Chiefs.

The rookie tight end was tied for fourth on the team in targets and continues to find it hard to separate himself from the other complementary receivers in the Las Vegas passing game. He remains hard to trust in fantasy leagues.

Mayer saw his most usage early in the game, getting a pair of targets on the first Raiders drive. He was nearly charged with a fumble, but the call was overturned to an incompletion. The Raiders offense shouldn’t be expected to be as high volume as it was in Week 11 moving forward, but Mayer is an established target for the Raiders in the flats and at the sticks. He should be considered a TE2 for Week 12 against the Chiefs.