Brock Bowers or Mark Andrews: Who Should You Start?
2026 Week 2 · deterministic head-to-head · Verdicts based on PPR scoring.
Bowers wins the conditional matchup; Andrews is the playable TE
Bowers gets the model's narrow edge because his focal-point role and elite ranking create more ceiling than Andrews' steadier setup. But that edge is unusable if Bowers cannot dress: raiders.com lists him ruled out, while NBC Sports 2026-09-14 describes him as day-to-day. Start Andrews, whose red-zone role in Baltimore's much stronger scoring environment makes him the practical play; his risk is that his 72% deployment limits his margin for error. Bowers remains the better talent and matchup-independent upside bet only if cleared.
What flips it: Bowers is cleared to play and avoids a managed workload.
Sources: raiders.com · Sep 11, 2026 · NBC Sports · Sep 14, 2026
AI editor
In standard scoring this is a coin flip.
Brock Bowers
8.111.314.4 Projected Points
Mark Andrews
6.78.410.2 Projected Points
Brock Bowers’s market
Mark Andrews’s market
Why Brock Bowers
Sit· highTE1 and offensive focal point. Elite separation and yards-after-catch ability; mismatch weapon with WR-level target volume.
Bowers is listed Out (post-meniscus trim) — no TE2 projection matters if he can't dress; handcuff a replacement and monitor his day-to-day status.
- His TE1 role and 25% target share give him slate-winning upside if active.
- The Chargers matchup is not the reason to prefer him; his individual usage is.
The call
- Availability is the whole story: he's listed Out, and a ruled-out tight end scores zero regardless of the 14.4-point projection or TE2 consensus rank.
- The role is elite when healthy — 86% snap share and a 25% target share over 12 games — so the moment he's activated he's a must-start, but you cannot leave a lineup spot exposed on a day-to-day knee.
- Even on a return, the spot is unappealing: 17.0 implied team total as an 8.5-point underdog, and the Chargers grade 26 of 32 vs tight ends on a one-game sample with zero confidence.
- Tip point: an official upgrade to active or a full practice week flips this to a start — until then, roll a healthy replacement.
Latest on Bowers
Head coach Klint Kubiak said he now considers Bowers day-to-day after last week's meniscus trim, and that Bowers is 'working his tail off' with hopes to play as soon as possible.
NBC Sports · Sep 14, 2026The Raiders believe there is a realistic chance Bowers (knee, post-meniscus trim) will miss only the season opener and could return Week 2 against the Chargers on Sept. 20, per ESPN's Adam Schefter.
ESPN · Sep 14, 2026Raiders coach Klint Kubiak said star tight end Brock Bowers is day-to-day after missing the team's Week 1 win over the Miami Dolphins because of a meniscus trim procedure he had last week.
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.
Take a look at the Raiders' injury report as the team prepares to face the Miami Dolphins.
Reported by the sources listed — not independently verified.
Why Mark Andrews
Start· mediumTE1 and red-zone mismatch. Veteran seam-stretcher with strong hands and quarterback rapport.
25% target share and 72% snaps in a 27-point implied offense — Andrews is a top-12 TE role even with a TE15 projection.
- Baltimore's scoring environment gives his red-zone mismatch role more paths to a touchdown.
- His veteran rapport offers a sturdier floor than the raw TE15 rank suggests.
The call
- A 25% target share is elite for the position; Andrews is the clear passing-game focal point at TE with a 72% snap share and no injury designation.
- Baltimore's 27.0 implied total and -7.5 spread point to a high-scoring, red-zone-heavy script, which is exactly where Andrews cashes in on touchdowns.
- The DvP composite of 12 of 32 reads mildly unfavorable, but it's a 1-game sample with 0.00 confidence — not enough to override the usage.
- Risk is the 10.1 projection and TE15 label: if Baltimore builds a lead and leans run, the volume ceiling narrows to a 6-8 point day.
Head-to-head stats
| Metric | Brock Bowers | Mark Andrews |
|---|---|---|
| Projected points | 8.111.314.4 | 6.78.410.2 |
| Consensus rank | TE2 | TE15 |
| Opponent vs position | LAC · 26 of 321-game sample | NO · 12 of 321-game sample |
| Receptions | 30 of 32 | 18 of 32 |
| Receiving Yards | 29 of 32 | 17 of 32 |
| Receiving TDs | 21 of 32 | 1 of 32 |
| Targets | 31 of 32 | 24 of 32 |
| Anytime TD | 20 of 32 | 1 of 32 |
| Target share | 25%(2025) | 25% |
| Reception share | 27%(2025) | 24% |
| Implied total · spread | 17.0+8.5 | 27.0-7.5 |
| Depth chart | TE1 | TE1 |
| Snap share | 86%(2025) | 72% |
| Injury designation | Questionable | — |
| Start/Sit record | — | 0–1 |
Recent form
Brock Bowers — last 1 week
| Week 1 | vs MIA | 0.00.00.0 |
Mark Andrews — last 1 week
| Week 1 | vs IND | 4.96.98.9 |
Signal breakdown
- 14.4 vs 10.2 projected PPR pointsBrock Bowers +
- Rank 2 vs 15Brock Bowers +
- Opponent DvP rank 26 vs 12 (32 = softest)even
- Implied 17.0 vs 27.0 team pointsMark Andrews +
- Questionable vs no designationMark Andrews +
- 86% vs 72% snap shareBrock Bowers +
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