Michael Mayer Over 21.5 Receiving Yards (-113)
Raiders vs. Lions | 8:15 p.m. ET
Prop Bomb: During the early NFL season, rookie tight ends Dalton Kincaid and Sam LaPorta have impacted their respective teams. Now, it's time for Michael Mayer to shine under the bright lights on Monday Night Football.
It took him some time to master the offense, but in the past four weeks, Mayer's snap count has consistently increased – leading to him jumping Austin Hooper on the depth chart. In the previous two games in which he played with Jimmy Garoppolo, Mayer was targeted nine times and gained 114 yards.
In Week 7, the Notre Dame product failed to go over his receiving yards prop, but the underlying metrics showed that he played a season-high 92% of snaps, per Pro Football Focus. Brian Hoyer replaced Garoppolo at quarterback during that game, and that may have provided more betting value for Mayer in this spot.
With Garoppolo cleared from concussion protocol and back under center, I anticipate him and Mayer to connect tonight as the pair build more chemistry in a nice buy-low spot to bounce back.
Tonight's matchup is also a favorable opportunity against the Lions. Their defense ranks ninth in DVOA against the run, which effectively compels teams to rely on passing to move the ball.
Mayer matches up against a secondary that allows the third-most receptions (6.14) and fifth-most receiving yards (62.71) to opposing tight ends, with five of the last six opponents' top tight ends going over this prop.
Before placing your bet on Mayer, make sure to use our FanDuel Sportsbook promo code available to new registrants for $200 in bonus bets!
Michael Mayer Over 21.5 Receiving Yards (-113 | Bet to 24.5)
Raiders vs. Lions | 8:15 p.m. ET
PropBetGuy: With the Raiders and Lions squaring off on Monday Night Football in Week 8, I’m honing in on the Raiders' rookie tight end for my favorite prop of the game.
After starting the season splitting snaps with fellow tight end Austin Hooper, Michael Mayer has emerged as the starter in recent weeks, playing at least 70% of the snaps in the last two games.
As his snap share has increased, so has his production. In his last three games, Mayer has cleared this line twice, with at least three targets in each game. The only miss on the yardage was last week in a game started by backup quarterback Brian Hoyer.
Starting quarterback Jimmy Garoppolo has been cleared to start tonight, which should put Mayer in an ideal spot to produce. The Josh McDaniels offense features an in-line tight end; Foster Moreau cleared this line in six of seven games last season in that role without Darren Waller.
The Lions are below average against the position group, ranking 17th in DVOA, per FTN Fantasy. They’ve allowed 62 receiving yards per game, which is the fifth most in the NFL. In six of their seven games, they’ve allowed a tight end to clear this line (only the lightly used Cade Otton failed to register at least 22 yards).
In a game where the Raiders are likely to be trailing and will likely have a tough time establishing their run game, I have Mayer projected close to 30 yards. I’d play this line comfortably up to over 24.5 yards.
Before placing your bet on Mayer, make sure to use our FanDuel Sportsbook promo code available to new registrants for $200 in bonus bets!
