Bhayshul Tuten or Michael Mayer: Who Should You Start?

2026 Week 2 · deterministic head-to-head · Verdicts based on PPR scoring.

Tuten's game script meets Mayer's conditional volume in an even call

Mayer's 24% target share gives him the sturdier receiving path, but it is conditional: Yahoo Sports 2026-09-17 says he remains the top tight end if Bowers sits. Tuten gets the better scoring environment, yet his 49% snap share and 5% target share expose a split-backfield floor despite his explosive big-play ability. With both matchups essentially neutral and the projections virtually identical, neither role creates enough separation. Mayer's risk is a lower-scoring game and role reversal; Tuten's is touchdown-dependent volume.

What flips it: Bowers is active for Las Vegas.

Sources: Yahoo Sports · Sep 17, 2026

AI editor

In standard scoring this flips to Tuten.

Bhayshul Tuten

Bhayshul Tuten

RB21JAXvs DEN

Projected Points

Sit
Michael Mayer

Michael Mayer

TELVvs LAC

Projected Points

Toss-Up· medium

Bhayshul Tuten’s market

RUSH YDS
O/U 48.5
-113 / -113
Rushing Yards Props →
REC
O/U 1.5
-108 / -118
Receptions Props →
REC YDS
O/U 8.5
-113 / -113
Receiving Yards Props →
ATD
Anytime TD
+180
Anytime Touchdown Props →

Michael Mayer’s market

REC
O/U 5.5
+107 / -136
Receptions Props →
REC YDS
O/U 44.5
-112 / -112
Receiving Yards Props →
ATD
Anytime TD
+230
Anytime Touchdown Props →
JAX@
DENSun, Sep 20, 4:05 PM ETView the game →
LV@
LACSun, Sep 20, 4:05 PM ETView the game →

Why Bhayshul Tuten

Sit

Explosive RB with elite straight-line speed. Home-run threat splitting carries in the Jacksonville backfield.

Sit — RB21 consensus, projects RB33 this week: DEN is the 8th-softest matchup vs RBs, 5% target share.

  • Explosive speed can turn limited work into a long score, giving Tuten more spike-play potential than his split role suggests.
  • Jacksonville's stronger scoring environment gives his carries more touchdown appeal than Mayer's short-area targets.

Latest on Tuten

Reported by the sources listed — not independently verified.

Why Michael Mayer

Toss-Up· medium

TE2 in complementary role. Physical in-line blocker with reliable short-to-intermediate hands behind the starter.

Mayer's 10.0 projection and 24% target share only hold if Bowers sits — confirm inactives before locking him in a 12-team TE slot.

  • Mayer's reliable short-area role is more bankable than Tuten's split backfield, but only if Bowers remains out.
  • The Yahoo Sports 2026-09-17 report supports Mayer retaining the lead tight-end role after his Week 1 usage.

The call

  • Week 1 usage was real: 81% snap share, 24% target share and six catches on seven targets with Bowers out of the starting lineup — that's a locked-in TE1 workload if it repeats.
  • The entire case is conditional. The Yahoo report (2026-09-17) says he's expected to stay the top tight end only *if* Bowers sits Week 2; if Bowers is active, Mayer's target share craters and 10.0 points is unreachable.
  • Matchup and script are fine — LAC ranks 26 of 32 in DvP composite (softer end) and an 8.5-point deficit with a 17.0 implied total means plenty of trailing-script throws and checkdowns.
  • Tiebreaker: if Bowers is ruled out, start Mayer without hesitation; if Bowers plays, bench him for any streaming TE.

Latest on Mayer

Role

Mayer was replaced Bowers in the starting lineup for the Week 1 opener and had six catches on seven targets for 32 yards; he is expected to remain the top tight end if Bowers sits out Week 2.

Yahoo Sports · Sep 17, 2026
Raiders TE Michael Mayer gets 3-year, $45M extension, sources say

Tight end Michael Mayer, who is stepping in for an injured Brock Bowers to start the regular season, has received a multiyear extension from the Raiders.

ESPN · Sep 12, 2026
Raiders sign TE Michael Mayer to multi-year extension

Mayer has totaled 83 receptions for 788 receiving yards (9.5 avg.) and three touchdowns over 38 games (32 starts) in his first three NFL seasons.

raiders.com · Sep 12, 2026

Reported by the sources listed — not independently verified.

Head-to-head stats

MetricBhayshul TutenMichael Mayer
Projected points
Consensus rankRB21—
Opponent vs positionDEN · 25 of 321-game sampleLAC · 26 of 321-game sample
Rushing Yards31 of 32—
Rushing TDs15 of 32—
Rushing Attempts29 of 32—
Receptions21 of 3230 of 32
Receiving Yards30 of 3229 of 32
Anytime TD22 of 3220 of 32
Receiving TDs—21 of 32
Targets—32 of 32
Target share5%24%
Reception share6%29%
Implied total · spread20.5+2.517.0+8.5
Depth chartRB1TE2
Snap share49%81%
Start/Sit record0–0+1 toss-up0–0+2 toss-ups

Recent form

Bhayshul Tuten — last 1 week

Week 1vs CLE

Michael Mayer — last 1 week

Week 1vs MIA

Signal breakdown

  • 10.1 vs 10.0 projected PPR pointsBhayshul Tuten +
  • Consensus position rankeven
  • Opponent DvP rank 25 vs 26 (32 = softest)even
  • Implied 20.5 vs 17.0 team pointsBhayshul Tuten +
  • No injury designationseven
  • 49% vs 81% snap shareMichael Mayer +

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