Las Vegas Raiders tight end Brock Bowers (89) prepares to enter the field against the Arizona Cardinals at Allegiant Stadium.
Image Credit: Kirby Lee-Imagn Images
The Las Vegas Raiders enter Sunday's season opener with one major absence on offense. All-Pro tight end Brock Bowers has been ruled out against the Miami Dolphins after missing every practice this week because of a knee injury.
Bowers underwent a procedure Tuesday to trim his meniscus and could miss more than the opening game. Remove Bowers from lineups and prepare for a possible Week 2 absence.
Running back Ashton Jeanty provided much better news. He practiced fully Wednesday, Thursday and Friday after recovering from an ankle injury and carries no game designation into Sunday.
Those are the only Raiders on the final report. Jeanty returns, but Bowers' absence forces coach Klint Kubiak to redistribute valuable opportunities.
The final Week 1 injury report for Dolphins-Raiders.
Everybody ready to roll for Miami pic.twitter.com/GNox4WVM19
— Travis Wingfield (@WingfieldNFL) September 11, 2026
Michael Mayer becomes a fantasy starter
Las Vegas Raiders tight end Michael Mayer (87) warms up during organized team activities at Intermountain Health Performance Center.
Candice Ward-Imagn Images
Michael Mayer is listed directly behind Bowers on the Raiders' depth chart and should operate as the starting tight end. That makes him an excellent waiver-wire replacement for managers who expected to start Bowers.
Mayer has already demonstrated that he can produce with Bowers unavailable. In four games without Bowers last season, he caught 18 passes for 196 yards and one touchdown on 24 targets. He played more than 90 percent of snaps in each game.
That history gives Mayer a realistic TE1 path. RotoBaller ranks him 12th among tight ends for Week 1, while several fantasy analysts recommend adding and starting him wherever he is available.
Bowers should remain rostered in every format. Avoid panic-trading him, but managers still need a temporary replacement. Mayer is the most logical answer because his expanded opportunity is directly connected to Bowers' absence.
Ashton Jeanty is ready to start
Fantasy managers can start Jeanty confidently after his full week of practice. He suffered the ankle injury August 23, but three unrestricted sessions and the removal of his game designation indicate that Las Vegas expects him to play.
Jeanty retains RB1 upside, although rookie Mike Washington Jr. could earn rotational work. Washington impressed while Jeanty recovered and is listed as the backup on the official depth chart. The final report offers no evidence that Jeanty needs a medical limitation.
Do not bench a lead back because of an earlier camp injury. Jeanty belongs in RB1 or high-end RB2 territory, while Washington is a valuable handcuff and speculative flex only in deeper leagues.
Raiders receivers gain opportunities
Bowers' absence should push additional targets toward Tre Tucker, Jalen Nailor and Jack Bech. Tucker has been identified as a potential Week 1 sleeper because Las Vegas must replace the underneath volume normally reserved for its star tight end.
Tucker offers the best flex case of the receivers, but his role remains less certain than Mayer's. Nailor brings familiarity with starting quarterback Kirk Cousins, while Bech profiles as a deeper-league option. None will automatically inherit Bowers' entire target share.
Cousins loses his safest middle-of-the-field weapon, lowering his fantasy ceiling. He is ranked outside the preferred streaming range in one-quarterback formats and is better used as a QB2 in superflex leagues.
Las Vegas' injury report therefore creates two clear fantasy decisions. Start Jeanty, add Mayer and bench Bowers. Tucker is a reasonable flex gamble, Washington is a bench stash and Cousins remains a low-upside quarterback play until the Bowers-led passing game is restored.