Michael Mayer had a fairly quiet season as a rookie, last year for the Las Vegas Raiders. Mayer was selected 35th overall in the 2023 NFL Draft and was primed to be a difference-maker at Tight End for the Raiders. That didn’t exactly happen, as he was used sparingly and was a blocking TE most of the time.
Michael Mayer’s 2023 Stats and Fantasy Production
In his rookie season, Michael Mayer had just 27 catches and scored two touchdowns in the 14 games he played in. He averaged a meager 2.9 targets a game for a player that was supposed to be the Raiders TE1.
This is in direct contrast to his last two years at Notre Dame, where he averaged almost 70 catches, eight touchdowns, and over 800 yards receiving. To dig even deeper into last season, Mayer produced an abysmal 44.4 fantasy points, ranking 28th among tight ends and 227th overall (FantasyPros).
Some might say it was disappointing, given that there were such high expectations for him to be that versatile TE that other teams have in Travis Kelce, and Sam LaPorta, among others.
Michael Mayer’s 2024 Fantasy Outlook
Despite having a lackluster season in 2023, there was still some optimism for Michael Mayer to possibly have a breakout year in his sophomore season. But then a funny thing happened on the way to the 2024 NFL Draft.
The Raiders used their first-round pick on the highly talented and multi-dimensional TE Brock Bowers. This would almost certainly relegate Mayer to TE2 and, realistically, a 4th or 5th option as a receiver. He is projected to slightly improve in fantasy points to 49.5 and remaining as the 28th among tight ends (rotoballer.com).
Final Take
There is no denying that Michael Mayer has a wealth of talent, but can he be a viable option in any fantasy platform? It would seem like a gamble to start him in any given week unless Brock Bowers is inactive or he becomes a favorite target early in the season. It will be a wait-and-see if Mayer will emerge as a quality tight end in his second year or if Brock Bowers breaks through and earns the starting job with his limitless potential.
For what it’s worth, Mayer has been working on his speed in training camp and feels that he has found ways to do that through stretches and daily yoga sessions (Raiders TE Michael Mayer Has Found the Secret to Improving His Speed – msn.com). Either way, it would not be advisable to draft Mayer, as there are simply not enough targets to help a team get points at the tight end position.
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