Start Michael Mayer or Tyler Higbee? Week 5

Our Week 5 call

Start Michael Mayer over Tyler Higbee in Week 5.

Market-based projections have Michael Mayer at 7.9 points and Tyler Higbee at 7.2, a gap of 0.7. 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 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 14 market sources).

Player markets imply 7.2 fantasy points for Tyler Higbee, with 100 percent of the markets a TE needs posted.

The market has Tyler Higbee at 25.5 receiving yards and 2.5 receptions, with a 30% chance to score a touchdown (4, 4 and 14 market sources).

That puts Michael Mayer 0.7 points ahead of Tyler Higbee on the market projections.

Injury status

Michael Mayer is not on the injury report.

Tyler Higbee is not on the injury report.

Usage before Week 5

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.

Through Week 4, Tyler Higbee played 49 percent of LAR snaps, drew 12 percent of the targets, earned 10 percent of the air yards and had 6 percent of the red zone chances.

Tyler Higbee, Week 1 against SF: 12 of 61 snaps, 2 targets and 2 catches for 12 yards.

Tyler Higbee, Week 2 against NYG: 16 of 62 snaps, 0 targets and 0 catches for 0 yards.

Tyler Higbee, Week 3 against DEN: 61 of 86 snaps, 11 targets and 8 catches for 62 yards, 1 touchdown.

Tyler Higbee, Week 4 against PHI: 55 of 84 snaps, 6 targets and 5 catches for 67 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, Tyler Higbee played 10 games for LAR and scored 71.1 PPR points, 7.1 a game, finishing TE40.

He caught 25 of 36 targets for 281 yards and 3 touchdowns, with 8 red zone targets and 141 air yards.

He was on the field for 54 percent of the offense's snaps in the games he played.

Their other Week 5 calls

• Start Michael Mayer over AJ Barner.
• Start Brenton Strange over Michael Mayer.
• Start Michael Mayer over Cade Otton.
• Start Tyler Higbee over AJ Barner.
• Start Cade Otton over Tyler Higbee.
• Start Chig Okonkwo over Tyler Higbee.