Start Michael Mayer or Charlie Kolar? Week 9

Our Week 9 call

Start Michael Mayer over Charlie Kolar in Week 9.

Market-based projections have Michael Mayer at 7.2 points and Charlie Kolar at 5.5, a gap of 1.6. No player market is posted for Michael Mayer this week yet, so his 7.2 is the average of his market-based projections in Weeks 6, 7 and 8 (6.9, 8.1 and 6.5); the call is rebuilt when his market posts. No player market is posted for Charlie Kolar this week yet, so his 5.5 is the average of his market-based projections in Weeks 6 and 8 (5.8 and 5.3); the call is rebuilt when his market posts.

What the market projects

No Week 9 player market is posted for Michael Mayer yet. His market-based projections were 6.9, 8.1 and 6.5 points in Weeks 6, 7 and 8, an average of 7.2, which stands in until his Week 9 market posts.

No Week 9 player market is posted for Charlie Kolar yet. His market-based projections were 5.8 and 5.3 points in Weeks 6 and 8, an average of 5.6, which stands in until his Week 9 market posts.

That puts Michael Mayer 1.6 points ahead of Charlie Kolar on these projections.

Week 9 matchups

Michael Mayer and LV visit SF on Sunday at 4:25 PM ET.

SF allowed 12.0 fantasy points a game to TEs this season over 7 games, the 12th fewest in the league.

Tight ends caught passes for 44 yards and 0.3 touchdowns a game against SF.

Charlie Kolar and LAC host HOU on Sunday at 4:05 PM ET.

HOU allowed 10.1 fantasy points a game to TEs this season over 7 games, the 4th fewest in the league.

Tight ends caught passes for 46 yards and 0.1 touchdowns a game against HOU.

By points allowed to the position, Michael Mayer has the softer matchup.

Injury status

Michael Mayer is not on the injury report.

Charlie Kolar is not on the injury report.

Usage before Week 9

Through Week 8, Michael Mayer played 81 percent of LV snaps, drew 15 percent of the targets, earned 9 percent of the air yards and had 3 percent of the red zone chances.

Michael Mayer, Week 5 against NE: 39 of 60 snaps, 1 target and 1 catch for 2 yards.

Michael Mayer, Week 6 against BUF: 52 of 66 snaps, 9 targets and 7 catches for 95 yards.

Michael Mayer, Week 7 against LAR: 56 of 68 snaps, 3 targets and 3 catches for 32 yards.

Michael Mayer, Week 8 against NYJ: 6 targets and 5 catches for 53 yards.

Through Week 8, Charlie Kolar played 65 percent of LAC snaps, drew 12 percent of the targets, earned 9 percent of the air yards and had 7 percent of the red zone chances.

Charlie Kolar, Week 2 against LV: 42 of 68 snaps, 3 targets and 3 catches for 21 yards.

Charlie Kolar, Week 5 against DEN: 51 of 67 snaps, 4 targets and 3 catches for 37 yards.

Charlie Kolar, Week 6 against KC: 45 of 68 snaps, 6 targets and 3 catches for 20 yards.

Charlie Kolar, Week 8 against LAR: 4 targets and 1 catch for 20 yards.

Their 2025 seasons

In 2025, Michael Mayer played 13 games for LV and scored 73.8 PPR points, 5.7 a game, finishing TE38.

He caught 35 of 50 targets for 328 yards and 1 touchdown, with 6 red zone targets and 132 air yards.

He was on the field for 57 percent of the offense's snaps in the games he played.

In 2025, Charlie Kolar played 17 games for BAL and scored 36.2 PPR points, 2.1 a game, finishing TE62.

He caught 10 of 15 targets for 142 yards and 2 touchdowns, with 3 red zone targets and 90 air yards.

He was on the field for 40 percent of the offense's snaps in the games he played.

Their other Week 9 calls

• Start AJ Barner over Michael Mayer.
• Start Brenton Strange over Michael Mayer.
• Start Cade Otton over Michael Mayer.
• Start AJ Barner over Charlie Kolar.
• Start Chig Okonkwo over Charlie Kolar.
• Start Charlie Kolar over Colby Parkinson.