Dalton Schultz vs Michael Mayer: Who Should You Start?
Dalton Schultz and Michael Mayer are both viable fantasy tight ends heading into 2026, but their 2025 production tells two different stories. Dalton Schultz averaged 8.0 PPG across 17 games with the Houston Texans, while Michael Mayer posted 4.3 PPG in 13 appearances for the Las Vegas Raiders.
A 3.7-PPG gap gives Dalton Schultz the edge on paper, but paper does not account for Thursday night matchups, weather games, or a star defender returning from injury. The real question is not who was better in 2025, but who is the better start this specific week.
Dalton Schultz is the volume tight end in this matchup with 82 receptions for 777 yards, while Michael Mayer profiles as a more touchdown-dependent spike play (1 scores on 35 catches). In weeks where Michael Mayer finds the end zone he out-scores Dalton Schultz, but the floor gap is real.
Dalton Schultz has his bye in Week 14, and Michael Mayer rests in Week 10. Managers rostering both need waiver wire depth at tight end for those two weeks, and that is exactly the kind of planning DraftCall's matchup engine surfaces automatically so you are not scrambling on a Sunday morning.
