Brock Bowers Fantasy Outlook and Top Waiver-Wire TE Targets amid Reported Knee Injury

Las Vegas Raiders tight end Brock Bowers will miss a "game or two" after undergoing a meniscus trim shortly before the start of the season, according to ESPN's Adam Schefter and Ian Rapoport.

Bowers will miss his team's season opener against the Miami Dolphins and may miss the Sept. 20 road matchup at the Los Angeles Chargers.

From a fantasy standpoint, here's a look at four potential waiver wire picks if teams need a replacement for Bowers, including the Miami Dolphins' Greg Dulcich, the Houston Texans' Dalton Schultz, the Minnesota Vikings' T.J. Hockenson, the New Orleans Saints' Juwan Johnson and the Raiders' Michael Mayer.

Miami Dolphins TE Greg Dulcich (at Las Vegas, Week 1)

It's anyone's guess as to who will lead the Miami Dolphins in targets this year. Miami is overhauling and rebuilding its team. Wideouts Tyreek Hill and Jaylen Waddle and tight end Darren Waller are gone, as is quarterback Tua Tagovailoa.

Dulcich arrived on the scene last year and got some time, catching 26 passes for 335 yards and a touchdown. He's the clear TE1 now with Waller out, and it's not impossible to see him get more chances now.

Houston Texans TE Dalton Schultz

The Houston Texans sadly got dealt a big blow in the pass game when No. 2 wide receiver Jayden Higgins suffered a torn ACL during an August practice.

Hopefully Higgins will be healthy and ready to go in 2027.

In the meantime, the Texans need help in the pass game, and it's conceivable tight end Dalton Schultz could get more opportunities.

Schultz, who is entering his ninth NFL season, already got a ton last year, seeing 106 targets overall. He turned those chances into 82 receptions for 777 yards and three scores. The table is set for him to be a major pass-game contributor yet again.

Minnesota Vikings TE T.J. Hockenson

Hockenson had a down year in 2025, but that was a byproduct of all three Vikings' starting quarterbacks struggling. Now Minnesota appears to have more stability and improved QB play in former Arizona Cardinal Kyler Murray, which could lead to a bounce-back year for Hockenson.

Hockenson does have a lot of competition for targets in the form of wideouts Justin Jefferson and Jordan Addison, but he can also be a safety blanket for Murray early on as he gets his feet wet.

New Orleans Saints TE Juwan Johnson

Johnson is rostered in 67 percent of Yahoo leagues. Chances are he isn't available, but if he is, the former Oregon star is a must-add.

With rookie wideout Jordyn Tyson, who was projected to be the No. 2 wideout, out for the first few months with a hamstring injury, there's an opening for more targets elsewhere on the roster. Johnson may be the de facto No. 2 pass-catcher behind Chris Olave. He's incredibly productive as is, catching 77 passes for 889 yards and three scores in 2025.

Las Vegas Raiders TE Michael Mayer

Michael Mayer was the Raiders' starting tight end in four games without Bowers last year. In those contests, Mayer caught 18 passes for 196 yards and one touchdown on 24 targets. Mayer is now TE1 for the next week or two, so he should see plenty of looks.