Mayer
TE · LV vs KC
Proj pts
8.3pts
market
Fant
TE · NO vs ATL
QuestionableProj pts
6.9pts
market
Michael Mayer or Noah Fant: who should I start in Week 4?
Start Michael Mayer. Bench Noah Fant. Michael Mayer leads at 8.3. Noah Fant is the first one out, 1.4 short.
Crowd: 35% of managers started Fant.
Availability & news
Noah FantQuestionable
Fant was limited in practice Thursday due to an abdominal injury.(rotowire, Oct 1, 2026)
Highlights
Cons
- Thin volume3.8 targets/g
- Tough matchupTough · D+ vs TE
Pros
- Spike upside14.8 ceiling
Cons
- Low TE usage9% target share
- Thin volume3.2 targets/g
Some recent form, opportunity and matchup figures still lean on the 2025 season (not enough games played this season yet).
Week 4 · Updated Tue 29 Sep, 6:00 AM ET
The widest gap between them, in proportion, is touchdown dependence: Mayer 7%, Fant 24%.
Fant (Questionable): “Fant was limited in practice Thursday due to an abdominal injury.” — RotoWire, Oct 1, 2026.
Latest game on the card: Mayer 12.2 (PPR points).
Why Michael Mayer
Start Michael Mayer — projects 8.3, a tough matchup vs KC, with a rising role.
Michael Mayer projects 8.3 points on a 5.5–12.1 range. The matchup grades as tough against KC. Usage: targets / game at 3.8. Net: start Michael Mayer this week.
Working against Mayer: Thin volume (3.8 targets/g), Tough matchup (Tough · D+ vs TE).
Where Mayer leads the head-to-head: Projection (8.3 vs 6.9); Floor (5.5 vs 1.6); Target share (14% vs 9%); Matchup grade (recency weighted) (D+ vs D-); Bust rate (20% vs 27%); Targets / game (3.8 vs 3.2); Snap share (62% vs 40%); Red zone targets (6 vs 4); Grade vs TE (recency weighted) (D+ vs D-).
Why Noah Fant
Sit Noah Fant — projects 6.9, a tough matchup vs ATL, with a rising role.
Noah Fant projects 6.9 points on a 1.6–14.8 range. The matchup grades as tough against ATL. Usage: targets / game at 3.2. Net: bench Noah Fant this week.
Working for Fant: Spike upside (14.8 ceiling).
Working against Fant: Low TE usage (9% target share), Thin volume (3.2 targets/g).
Where Fant leads the head-to-head: Ceiling (14.8 vs 12.1); Implied team total (25.8 vs 21.5); Last 3 avg (10.9 vs 8.9); Last 5 avg (10.9 vs 10.5); vs season (+6.2 vs +3.6); Consistency (40% vs 31%); Boom rate (27% vs 20%); Touchdown dependence (24% vs 7%); Implied total (25.8 vs 21.5).
Recent form
Michael Mayer's last 5 games: PPR points 17.9, 7.7, 9.2, 5.3, 12.2 (oldest to newest).
Noah Fant's last 3 games: PPR points 0, 13.3, 19.3 (low to high; the card does not say which came first).
Mayer has already beaten Fant's 6.9 projection in 4 of his 5; Fant has beaten Mayer's 8.3 in 2 of his 3.
At least 1 of these 5 games was played before the 2026 season.
Matchup
Michael Mayer (LV) faces KC, kickoff Sun 4:25 PM ET. The matchup is rated tough. Betting line: implied team total 21.5, spread +4.5.
Noah Fant (NO) faces ATL, kickoff Mon 8:15 PM ET. The matchup is rated tough. Betting line: implied team total 25.8, spread -3.0.
What flips it
Mayer's edge is 1.4 points (8.3 to 6.9). Fant's ceiling (14.8) clears Mayer's projection, so a big game from Fant flips it. Mayer's floor (5.5) sits under Fant's projection, so a quiet game from Mayer flips it too. Confidence in the call: moderate.
More start/sit comparisons from this week's PPR projections. Open a pair for the call and the reasoning.
This week's toughest calls
- Colston Loveland or Hunter Henry11.3 · 11.2
- Juwan Johnson or Tucker Kraft12.3 · 12.2
- Hunter Henry or AJ Barner11.2 · 11.2
- Tucker Kraft or Isaiah Likely12.2 · 12.2
- Brenton Strange or Colston Loveland11.4 · 11.3
- Colston Loveland or AJ Barner11.3 · 11.2
- More TE start/sit calls (tight ends this week)