Who Should I Start? Drew Sample or Ja'Tavion Sanders

Sunday, January 5, 7:40 AM

Cincinnati Bengals tight end Drew Sample caught all four of his targets for 14 yards on Saturday in his team's 19-17 victory against the Pittsburgh Steelers. Though the yardage total wasn't anything to write home about, the veteran tight end tied a season high in catches. More importantly, Cincinnati's offense did just enough to earn a fifth straight victory that kept its playoff hopes alive for another day. Whether Sample and the Bengals get a shot in the Wild Card round will come down to Week 18, when Cincy needs both Denver and Miami to lose.

Monday, December 30, 12:34 PM

Carolina Panthers rookie tight end Ja'Tavion Sanders earned one target in Week 17 and turned that into a five-yard reception in Sunday's 48-14 loss to the Tampa Bay Buccaneers. In this one, Sanders took a clear backseat to the Panthers' receivers, Adam Thielen and Xavier Legette. In addition, the Buccaneers dictated game flow in this one, as they dominated the game and time of possession with 41 minutes compared to the Panthers' 19, making it difficult for Carolina's playmakers to make a difference in this contest. Sanders became fantasy-relevant in the middle of the season with 18 catches for 212 yards and a touchdown from Week 6 through Week 10. However, since Week 14, he has only earned three total targets, making him nothing more than a dynasty stash for fantasy managers. The Panthers will travel to Atlanta this week to take on the Falcons, and Sanders should be on your bench.