Start Mark Andrews or Michael Mayer? Week 5

Our Week 5 call

Start Mark Andrews over Michael Mayer in Week 5.

Market-based projections have Mark Andrews at 8.2 points and Michael Mayer at 7.9, a gap of 0.4. That is inside the noise of a single catch, so treat it as close to a coin flip.

What the market projects

Player markets imply 8.2 fantasy points for Mark Andrews, with 100 percent of the markets a TE needs posted.

The market has Mark Andrews at 28.5 receiving yards and 3.5 receptions, with a 26% chance to score a touchdown (16, 11 and 15 market sources).

Player markets imply 7.9 fantasy points for Michael Mayer, with 100 percent of the markets a TE needs posted.

The market has Michael Mayer at 29.5 receiving yards and 3.5 receptions, with a 21% chance to score a touchdown (15, 12 and 15 market sources).

That puts Mark Andrews 0.4 points ahead of Michael Mayer on the market projections.

Injury status

Mark Andrews is not on the injury report.

Michael Mayer is not on the injury report.

Usage before Week 5

Through Week 4, Mark Andrews played 63 percent of BAL snaps, drew 24 percent of the targets, earned 18 percent of the air yards and had 7 percent of the red zone chances.

Mark Andrews, Week 1 against IND: 49 of 68 snaps, 6 targets and 4 catches for 49 yards.

Mark Andrews, Week 2 against NO: 41 of 58 snaps, 7 targets and 6 catches for 49 yards.

Mark Andrews, Week 3 against DAL: 33 of 64 snaps, 5 targets and 3 catches for 24 yards.

Mark Andrews, Week 4 against TEN: 37 of 64 snaps, 6 targets and 5 catches for 27 yards, 1 touchdown.

Through Week 4, Michael Mayer played 85 percent of LV snaps, drew 18 percent of the targets, earned 9 percent of the air yards and had 5 percent of the red zone chances.

Michael Mayer, Week 1 against MIA: 55 of 68 snaps, 7 targets and 6 catches for 32 yards.

Michael Mayer, Week 2 against LAC: 53 of 63 snaps, 4 targets and 3 catches for 23 yards.

Michael Mayer, Week 3 against NO: 61 of 70 snaps, 3 targets and 3 catches for 32 yards, 1 touchdown.

Michael Mayer, Week 4 against KC: 74 of 84 snaps, 10 targets and 8 catches for 82 yards.

Their 2025 seasons

In 2025, Mark Andrews played 17 games for BAL and scored 131.0 PPR points, 7.7 a game, finishing TE16.

He caught 48 of 70 targets for 422 yards and 5 touchdowns, with 14 red zone targets and 321 air yards.

He was on the field for 62 percent of the offense's snaps in the games he played.

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.

Their other Week 5 calls

• Start Mark Andrews over AJ Barner.
• Start Brenton Strange over Mark Andrews.
• Start Mark Andrews over Cade Otton.
• Start Michael Mayer over AJ Barner.
• Start Brenton Strange over Michael Mayer.
• Start Michael Mayer over Cade Otton.