The Las Vegas Raiders might be in a tough spot Monday night. Brock Bowers is injured, and his status is uncertain.
He has a knee injury, and making things tougher for fantasy football players, Bowers and the Raiders play the second of two Monday Night Football games. They kick off at 10 p.m. ET on MNF against the Los Angeles Chargers in the final game of Week 2.
That means that, if you hold out hope for Bowers to play and he's ruled out at about 8:30 p.m. ET on Monday, you're almost entirely out of luck.
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It's better to do some advanced planning now.
There's an obvious pickup to stand in for Bowers if he sits: His teammate, Michael Mayer.
Mayer was a highly touted rookie just two seasons ago, but he took a backseat after Bowers was drafted in 2024.
The former Notre Dame star is a talented blocker but also a solid pass catcher and a big target.
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He's available in almost every league. It's not often you handcuff a tight end, but with Bowers' status in jeopardy and the schedule being what it is, this is a move you should make.
If you're for some reason way more interested in a piece of the Chargers' offense for this game, you could flip a coin between Will Dissly and Tyler Conklin from their tight end room.
But it definitely seems Mayer is the way to go if you're looking for Bowers insurance.
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