Brock Bowers broke records as a rookie last season and skyrocketed into the first two rounds of fantasy football drafts ahead of the 2025 campaign. The second-year stud clearly sits atop the mountain of fantasy assets at his position, but after a knee injury knocked him out of Week 1’s contest, his status remains in question for a Week 2 appearance on Monday Night Football.
If Bowers plays isn’t at 100%, is he a player you can still trust in fantasy football lineups? What should fantasy managers do with Bowers in Week 2? Find out the answers here!
What to do with Brock Bowers in Week 2?
Bowers obviously earned a spot in the upper echelon of NFL tight ends with an amazing rookie season last year. During that campaign, the Georgia product broke Sam LaPorta’s rookie tight end receptions record set just a year prior with 112 catches for 1,194 yards and five touchdowns. Bowers posted those numbers despite dealing with questionable quarterback play throughout the year as Gardner Minshew and Aidan O’Connell started for most of the campaign. It was a truly impressive pro debut as the two-time Mackey Award winner flashed game-breaking upside.
Now in his second season, Bowers sees the benefit of a much-improved quarterback and head coach with Geno Smith under center and Pete Carroll on the sideline for the Raiders. He’s primed for yet another strong performance in fantasy football and picked up right where he left off with five receptions for 103 yards on eight targets in Week 1. Despite playing just 51% of snaps to open 2025, Bowers posted 15.3 fantasy points in PPR formats and finished as the TE2 on the week even though he exited with a knee injury during the third quarter.
The good news is the injury wasn’t a non-contact issue — instead it came as a result of a hit from a Patriots safety. It seemed at the time that Bowers sat out the remainder of the contest due to precautionary reasons, but the star tight end didn’t practice with the team on Thursday or Friday. Missing two consecutive days as a DNP doesn’t bode well for his status in Week 2, though the Raiders don’t play until Monday night against the Chargers. With Bowers’ status uncertain, what’s the move for fantasy managers who roster him?
The verdict
The long week with a Monday Night Football appearance works in Bowers’ favor as well as fantasy managers’ in some regard, but it could also easily backfire in terms of strategy. Since it’s the last game of the week and starts after the Texans vs. Buccaneers matchup on the same night, it’ll be too late for fantasy players to insert most tight ends from their bench into the starting lineup if Bowers winds up inactive. At that point, those who roster him are left with tight ends from the waiver wire scheduled to suit up in that game as well as the other Monday night contest (depending on what time Bowers’ status becomes certain).
If that’s the case, a player like teammate Michael Mayer might still be available as a free agent in many leagues and could bring some upside. He shared the field with Bowers a good bit in Week 1 as the in-line tight end 74% of the time while the star lined up in the slot or out wide 52% of the time. Despite sharing the field with a superior pass-catching talent, Mayer still garnered four targets and caught all of them for 38 yards. His 7.8 fantasy points in PPR formats didn’t exactly impress, but he was serviceable and would likely see a larger target share in Week 2 without Bowers. If Mayer’s not out there, perhaps Chargers tight end Will Dissly or the Buccaneers’ Cade Otton would also be available as a last-minute pickup.
Again though, that wait-and-see approach brings plenty of risk in the event that Bowers doesn’t play. Saturday’s injury report should provide more clarity regarding the star’s status, but risk-averse fantasy players who want to take the safer route are better off playing a backup on Sunday if Bowers isn’t trending in the right direction. Those who are playing against a Bowers manager and feel interested in the gamesmanship of fantasy football can consider picking up Mayer themselves if he’s available to force your opponent’s hand.
