Fantasy Football Impact: Brock Bowers Gets Positive Injury News Ahead Of Week 2
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Before the start of the 2026 NFL season, one of the most highly touted TEs for fantasy football, Brock Bowers, got meniscus trim surgery. The announcement was bizarre, with there being no indication of that being a possibility during the entire offseason. Nevertheless, fantasy managers with Bowers on their team recently did get a positive report on Bowers regarding his timeline for returning from said surgery.
Brock Bowers Injury Update
On Sunday Sep. 13, NFL Insider Adam Schefter said the following about Bowers in a post on X.
“After undergoing a meniscus trim Tuesday, the Raiders believe there’s a realistic chance Brock Bowers will miss only one game and return for Week 2 at the Los Angeles Chargers, per sources. The team will see how he’s feeling this week, but a potential return next week is within the realm of possibility.”
On Sep. 14, Head Coach of Las Vegas Klint Kubiak said that Bowers is currently day-to-day. And from what it sounds, Bowers is working vigorously to get back, and if he appears ready to play, the Raiders will let him do so. There is one hurdle he will have to get past in the Raiders' organization.
According to ESPN Raiders beat writer for Las Vegas, Ryan McFadden, Kubiak will listen to their athletic trainers before he makes a decision. And based on where the injury is, it would not be surprising if they chose to be extra careful with Bowers.
Bowers's meniscus trim surgery happened in his left knee. That is the same knee where he had a bone bruise and a PCL sprain in the 2025 season that led him to miss five games.
Brock Bowers Week 1 Fantasy Outlook
If Bowers were able to suit up in Week 2, he could log a great fantasy performance against the Los Angeles Chargers. In Week 1 against the Arizona Cardinals, the Chargers' defense struggled, especially against their TE1 Trey McBride. They gave up 26 points, and McBride recorded nine receptions for 95 yards and a TD. In PPR fantasy formats, he finished as TE3.
In 2025, Los Angeles happened to be one of the worst teams in defending TEs. They allowed the third-most fantasy points of any team to TEs. Bowers also played them twice in 2025 and had a good outing in his second game against them. He logged four receptions for 63 yards and caught two TDs. With all this, even with Bowers coming off an injury, he is a must-start in fantasy in Week 2 if he plays.
Michael Mayer Week 1 Fantasy Outlook
If Bowers is not available, TE2 on the Raiders is the best stream play of any TE for Week 2. If Bowers is available, he is by no means a startable player in any fantasy format.
In Week 1 against the Dolphins, Mayer had an encouraging performance. He had six receptions for 32 yards on seven targets; the most targets in the game for any Las Vegas player. In ESPN fantasy leagues, he is currently just 29.5% rostered.
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Gray Deyo is a Nashville-based sportswriter who graduated with a sports management bachelor's degree from the University of Tennessee at Chattanooga. He has covered prep sports, college sports, the WNBA, and the NBA for the past four years. In addition to writing for SI, Gray also currently contributes to Prep Girls Hoops