Darren Waller or Michael Mayer?
Who to start in Week 3, who is better for the rest of the season, and who carries more trade value — from the FantasyPros expert consensus and the LeagueLogs Market Index.
Week 3 · 2026 season · Consensus updated September 22 at 6:11 AM EDT
Connect your league and an AI analyst settles debates like this one against your actual roster.
The lean
- This week: Michael Mayer
- Rest of season: Darren Waller — 2 of 3 experts
- Trade value: close to even
The weekly, season-long and trade-value calls differ. Choose the measure that fits your decision.
| Darren Waller | Michael Mayer | |
|---|---|---|
| Rest of season 2 of 3 experts rank Darren Waller ahead · 1 rank Michael Mayer ahead | TE26#21–#30edge | TE34#26–#42 |
| Week 3 | TE29#22–#31 | TE17#11–#26edge |
| Week 3 projection (PPR) | 6.9edge | 6.0 |
| Market Index value (redraft PPR) | 3 #287 overall | 3 #283 overall |
| Last 30 days (Market Index) | +2 ranks · +2 val | +71 ranks · +62 val |
| Rostered | 5% | 18% |
| Bye | 5 | 13 |
| Status | No injury designation | No injury designation |
Expert consensus and ownership data via FantasyPros · Market Index values by LeagueLogs
Go deeper
More comparisons
Frequently Asked Questions
- Who should I start in Week 3, Darren Waller or Michael Mayer?
- Michael Mayer. This week's consensus has Darren Waller at TE29 (range #22–#31) and Michael Mayer at TE17 (range #11–#26). Projections: 6.9 vs 6.0 PPR points.
- Who is better for the rest of the season, Darren Waller or Michael Mayer?
- Darren Waller. Rest-of-season consensus: Darren Waller TE26 (range #21–#30) vs Michael Mayer TE34 (range #26–#42). 2 of 3 FantasyPros experts who rank both have Darren Waller ahead for the rest of the season.
- Should I trade Darren Waller for Michael Mayer?
- On the LeagueLogs Market Index (redraft PPR) Darren Waller is ranked #287 overall and Michael Mayer #283, so a one-for-one is close to even. Run the exact deal through the free AI Trade Analyzer for a verdict on your league's scoring.