TE · LV · GWTTKB

Michael Mayer — fantasy football 2026

Every game, every stat category, and what the board says. 5.68 points per game in 2025, usage worth 7.

25 years old · 3 seasons of experience · 2023 draft class

Updated 2026-08-16 · free, no account, no paywall
Every figure below comes from our database. Where a stat is not held, the row is absent rather than zero.

What we project for 2026

Our board has him at 96.9 points, 6.4 per game — 42.6 catches, 405 yards, 2.3 TDs. That is TE5, 191 overall.

The range runs from a floor of 4.3 points per game to a ceiling of 9.3, with the median at 6.4. Boom rate 45%, bust rate 32%. The spread is the actual bet, not the middle number.

The offense he plays in, 2026

Las Vegas Raiders returns 2 of 6 continuity slots, replacing qb1, wr1, hc, oc. Kirk Cousins at quarterback, Klint Kubiak as head coach, Andrew Janocko calling it. The offense projects to 32.2 pass attempts a game at low confidence and 24.8 rushes.

In: Kirk Cousins (qb), Fernando Mendoza (qb2), Jalen Nailor (wr1), Malik Benson (wr5), Dareke Young (wr6), Philip Dorsett II (wr7), Mike Washington Jr (rb2), Chris Collier (rb4). Out: Geno Smith (qb), Jach Bech (wr2), Tyler Lockett (wr3), Raheem Mostert (rb2), Zamir White (rb3).

His own projected target share for 2026 is 9.7%, with a bear case of 9.1% and a bull case of 10.7% and a full range of 8.6% to 12.9%. That comes from 25 historical comparables, not from a depth chart.

The projected target split across the offense:

Brock Bowers21%
Tre Tucker14%
Ashton Jeanty12.7%
Michael Mayer 9.7%
Dont'e Thornton Jr.7.7%
Jack Bech7.4%

Our written view on this offense in 2026

What the offense looks like: If this offense can click, the top players in this offense will all have their values increase significantly. There is talent here: Bowers, Jeanty, Mendoza. But this WR corp is lacking, however Tucker, Nailor, Bech, and even Thornton Jr have a huge opportunity to step up.

Key additions: Drafted Fernando Mendoza 1 overall. Kirk Cousins signed in free agency on vet minimum deal. C Tyler Linderbaum landed HUGE deal coming over from Baltimore (top center in NFL). WR Jalen Nailor landed a 3 year deal & COULD be raiders WR1 IF no other veterans are brought in.

Key departures: QB Geno Smith was traded to the Jets.

Notes: Mendoza 1.01 franchise QB of the future. Raiders also signed Kirk Cousins & he is assumed week 1 starter. Mendoza may not play early half of season unless beats Cousins out in camp. Raiders spent big in free agency and O line should be better but still bad. Buy Bowers long-term. Monitor Mendoza development. Raiders will probably sign a veteran WR who could operate as WR1, either Jauan Jennings or Diggs or Tyreek Hill or Keenan Allen potentially. Tyreek Hill also an option. Mike Washington Jr will back up Ashton Jeanty. New HC Klint Kubiak former Seahawks OC should also boost offense creativity.

How the volume number was reached: New QB Kirk Cousins, avg 29.6 att/g over 2025,2024; Regressed 65% toward league mean 33.5, floored at 30 → 32.1 att/g; New OC Andrew Janocko — pass rate and tempo may shift; New HC Klint Kubiak.

How that share projection was built

25 historical comps for TEs age ~24, prior share 12.1%, same team, OC change, QB change. Distribution: median 8.0%, p25-p75 [6.5%, 10.6%], tails [5.3%, 16.3%]. Closest comps: Adam Trautman 2021→2022 (NO: 12.8%→6.8%); Trey McBride 2022→2023 (ARI: 12.1%→19.8%); Ricky Seals-Jones 2021→2022 (WAS: 12.7%→0.0%).

self-anchored 58% to own 12.1% role (3yr), 42% to comp median 8.0%

The named comps are the closest historical matches and the arrow is what their share actually did the following season. That is the working, not a summary of it — if you disagree with the projection, this is the part to argue with.

Offensive environment: LV rates 19.6 against a league average of 23, 3.4 below it on opponent-adjusted least squares (multi-capture merge).

2026 schedule

Opponent-adjusted pass defense faced, against 2025 ratings. Positive is an easier slate.

Full season-5 · harder
Weeks 1–6-9.6 · harder
Weeks 12–17-3.6 · harder
Fantasy playoffs (15–17)+3.6 · easier

Read this narrowly. Our own testing found that season-long strength of schedule does not survive as a draft input — defensive quality is among the least stable team properties year to year, and a preseason slate is built on last year's identities. The playoff-weeks column is the only one we would let break a tie, and even then it is a tiebreaker rather than a reason. The finding.

What happened when he missed time

From the absence record rather than a depth chart — who actually gained when he was out.

SeasonGames missedMain beneficiaryTheir PPR gain
20233Austin Hooper+3.2
20253Brock Bowers+1.1
20243Brock Bowers+-0.7

Dynasty context not redraft

Everything in this section is about his dynasty trade value — what he is worth as a long-term asset in the trade market. It is not a forecast of his 2026 fantasy scoring. A player can be a fine redraft pick while his dynasty value falls, and the reverse. The redraft read is above; this is a different question with a different answer.

Where he sits in the dynasty value cycle

His dynasty value has moved +26.2% over the last twelve months. The market cycle classifies him as stable.

For context on how long this lasts at the position: the average career at his position produces 1.3 elite seasons and 2.3 startable seasons.

The five most similar seasons, and what their dynasty value did next

Matched on production profile — production-driven (pedigree ignored). The last column is how that player’s dynasty value moved the following year — a market outcome, not a scoring one.

PlayerSeasonTheir PPGSimilarityNext year
Brenton Strange20246.575%+49.3%
Pat Freiermuth2023772%-8.2%
Irv Smith20226.971%-17.9%
Gerald Everett20206.268%+10.7%
David Njoku20217.265%+134.9%

Of the 5 with a following season on record, 3 gained value, 2 lost it and 0 held roughly flat.

Four years of dynasty value

02,0004,000202420252026
Monthly superflex value, 2023-03 to 2026-07. Down 30% across the series, peaking at 3,553.

The player

Draft capital and athletic profile

Drafted2023, round 2, pick 35 by LVR
CollegeNotre Dame
Age at draft22
Height6′5″
Weight249 lb
40-yard dash4.7s
Vertical32.5″
Broad jump118″

Availability and volatility

Career PPR per game5.8
Week-to-week variation0.9
Boom rate21.4%
Bust rate21.4%
Games missed per season3
Injury historyToe, Concussion, Ankle
Correlation between his posted line and his actual score0.45

That correlation is how closely the books’ posted line tracked what he actually scored, week to week. A higher number means the market has him figured out and there is less to exploit; a lower one means his weeks are harder to price.

Injury type matters more than games missed. Measured across our injury database, knee and foot returns stay below a player’s pre-injury baseline for all three of the first games back, while hamstring returns over-recover by the third.

The record, season by season

2025 · LV · 13 games

His best game was Week 17 against NYG — 17.9 PPR on 10 targets and a 35.7% target share, in a game that finished 10-34. His worst was Week 15 against PHI at 0, on 0 targets, final score 0-31. Across 13 games he cleared 20 points 0 times and came in under 8 points 11 times. In the 5 games decided by 8 points or fewer he averaged 5.7; in the 8 decided by more, 5.7. Game state made no difference to his scoring.

Earned against scored

His usage that season was worth 7 points per game. He scored 5.68, 18.7% below it. The engine classified the season as unlucky.

WkOppScorePPRRecTgtYdsTDTgt%Snap%
1NE20-137.84438012.1%63%
2LAC9-202.922904.7%34%
3WAS24-41001003.7%8%
6TEN20-10165750130.4%92%
7KC0-3121210011.8%94%
9JAX29-305.63726018.4%83%
10DEN7-105.23422016%62%
11DAL16-334.33413010.3%77%
12CLE10-242.4111402.4%16%
15PHI0-31000000%19%
16HOU21-2321310013.6%67%
17NYG10-3417.991089035.7%93%
18KC14-127.73547019.2%95%

Production

Receptions35
Targets50
Receiving yards328
Touchdowns1
Points per game5.68
Yards per target6.56
Catch rate70%

Role

Snap share61.77%
Target share13.72%
Air-yards share13.08%
WOPR0.298
RACR1.475

Efficiency

Average depth of target4.8
Yards after catch per reception5.6
Yards before catch per reception3.8
Total YAC196
Broken tackles1
Drop rate0%
Passer rating when targeted69.4
Receiving EPA per game-0.76

Scoring position

Red-zone targets6
Red-zone target share10%
End-zone target share0%
Expected receiving TDs1.54
Actual receiving TDs1
Receiving TD luck-0.54

Who else ate

The offense threw it 515 times. He took 10.14% of the targets. 2 team-mates cleared the competing-target threshold.

Tre Tucker18.66%
Brock Bowers17.44%
Ashton Jeanty14.81%
Michael Mayer 10.14%
Jakobi Meyers9.94%
Tyler Lockett6.9%

By quarterback

He caught passes from 3 quarterbacks that season, and the splits are not close.

QBGamesTargetsPPGY/TTgt%
Geno Smith11456.016.2414.46%
Kenny Pickett1000%
Aidan O'Connell157.79.419.2%

Blowouts against close games

5 of his 13 games were blowouts, 32.8% of his snaps coming in them. He averaged 4.84 in those and 5.66 in close games — his scoring did not depend on garbage time.

2024 · LV · 11 games

His best game was Week 14 against TB — 13.8 PPR on 9 targets and a 25.7% target share, in a game that finished 13-28. His worst was Week 16 against JAX at 0, on 1 targets, final score 19-14. Across 11 games he cleared 20 points 0 times and came in under 8 points 10 times. In the 4 games decided by 8 points or fewer he averaged 1.4; in the 7 decided by more, 4.4. He scored more when the game was not close.

Earned against scored

His usage that season was worth 5.1 points per game. He scored 3.33, 35.3% below it. The engine classified the season as very_unlucky. On receiving touchdowns specifically he finished 0 against 1.2 expected, a gap of -1.2.

WkOppScorePPRRecTgtYdsTDTgt%Snap%
1LAC10-222.323309.4%57%
2BAL26-232.1111102.8%62%
3CAR22-361.713707.7%48%
11MIA19-341.513507.7%52%
12DEN19-293.1221104.3%44%
13KC17-191.512505.9%63%
14TB13-2813.87968025.7%81%
15ATL9-152.1121105.9%70%
16JAX19-14001002.7%61%
17NO25-102.4121405.7%75%
18LAC20-346.14421011.8%80%

Production

Receptions21
Targets32
Receiving yards156
Touchdowns0
Points per game3.33
Yards per target4.88
Catch rate65.63%

Role

Snap share63%
Target share8.15%
Air-yards share6.22%
WOPR0.165
RACR0.87

Efficiency

Average depth of target6.2
Yards after catch per reception2.9
Yards before catch per reception4.5
Total YAC61
Broken tackles2
Drop rate0.1%
Passer rating when targeted77.1
Receiving EPA per game0

Scoring position

Red-zone targets6
Red-zone target share9.5%
End-zone target share0%
Expected receiving TDs1.2
Actual receiving TDs0
Receiving TD luck-1.2

Who else ate

The offense threw it 634 times. He took 5.41% of the targets. 2 team-mates cleared the competing-target threshold.

Brock Bowers25.89%
Jakobi Meyers21.83%
Tre Tucker13.71%
Alexander Mattison8.12%
Ameer Abdullah7.95%
Michael Mayer 5.41%

By quarterback

He caught passes from 3 quarterbacks that season, and the splits are not close.

QBGamesTargetsPPGY/TTgt%
Gardner Minshew5122.143.086.38%
Aidan O'Connell5184.76610.36%
Desmond Ridder122.15.55.9%

2023 · LV · 13 games

His best game was Week 15 against LAC — 13.9 PPR on 5 targets and a 14.7% target share, in a game that finished 63-21. His worst was Week 1 against DEN at 0, on 0 targets, final score 17-16. Across 13 games he cleared 20 points 0 times and came in under 8 points 9 times. In the 7 games decided by 8 points or fewer he averaged 6; in the 6 decided by more, 4.9. He scored more when the game was live.

Earned against scored

His usage that season was worth 5.8 points per game. He scored 5.49, 3.2% above it. The engine classified the season as neutral.

WkOppScorePPRRecTgtYdsTDTgt%Snap%
1DEN17-16000000%49%
2BUF10-381.211204.3%40%
3PIT18-23201002.3%47%
5GB17-135.92339010.3%66%
6NE21-1712.55675019.4%81%
7CHI12-303.3241308.9%71%
8DET14-262.9121909.5%91%
9NYG30-63.1221108.3%88%
10NYJ16-1210.93519120%88%
11MIA13-208.64546013.2%80%
12KC17-314.72427012.5%84%
14MIN0-32.4121406.9%94%
15LAC63-2113.94539114.7%64%

Production

Receptions27
Targets40
Receiving yards304
Touchdowns2
Points per game5.49
Yards per target7.6
Catch rate67.5%

Role

Snap share72.54%
Target share10.02%
Air-yards share7.44%
WOPR0.202
RACR1.168

Efficiency

Average depth of target5.7
Yards after catch per reception6.1
Yards before catch per reception5.2
Total YAC164
Broken tackles3
Drop rate0%
Passer rating when targeted96.2
Receiving EPA per game1.37

Scoring position

Red-zone targets7
Red-zone target share9%
End-zone target share5.9%
Expected receiving TDs1.24
Actual receiving TDs2
Receiving TD luck0.76

Who else ate

The offense threw it 557 times. He took 7.53% of the targets. 2 team-mates cleared the competing-target threshold.

Davante Adams32.96%
Jakobi Meyers19.96%
Josh Jacobs10.17%
Michael Mayer 7.53%
Hunter Renfrow6.97%
Tre Tucker6.4%

By quarterback

He caught passes from 3 quarterbacks that season, and the splits are not close.

QBGamesTargetsPPGY/TTgt%
Jimmy Garoppolo6134.0810.387.63%
Aidan O'Connell6237.276.7812.6%
Brian Hoyer143.33.258.9%

Blowouts against close games

4 of his 13 games were blowouts, 30.1% of his snaps coming in them. He averaged 5.38 in those and 6.04 in close games — his scoring did not depend on garbage time.

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