Michael Mayer vs Travis Kelce: Who Should You Start?
Two tight ends who will land on plenty of the same rosters in 2026. Michael Mayer (Las Vegas Raiders) finished the 2025 season averaging 4.3 fantasy points per game in 13 games. Travis Kelce (Kansas City Chiefs) came in at 9.1 PPG over 17 games. The gap is real but not insurmountable with the right matchup.
Travis Kelce carries a 4.8-point PPG advantage from the 2025 season. That baseline matters, but it is one input among several. Matchup difficulty, scoring trends, and injury reports move the needle week to week, which is why the best answer changes depending on when you are asking.
Travis Kelce is the volume tight end in this matchup with 76 receptions for 851 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 Travis Kelce, but the floor gap is real.
One scheduling note: Michael Mayer is off Week 10 and Travis Kelce Week 6. If these two are on your roster, you will need a fill-in tight end for both weeks. DraftCall flags bye conflicts so you can plan ahead rather than panic on waivers.
