Who Should I Start? Ja'Tavion Sanders or Mason Taylor

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.

Tuesday, April 29, 4:39 PM

The Athletic's Zack Rosenblatt writes that rookie second-round tight end Mason Taylor will immediately walk into the Jets building at the top of the tight end depth chart going into his rookie season in 2025. Jeremy Ruckert projects as the No. 2, but he has yet to make an impact since the Jets drafted him in 2022. The Jets are at least hoping he can take a step forward as a blocker and contribute in the running game. The 20-year-old Taylor not only will be a starter immediately, but he could see plenty of targets from quarterback Justin Fields in his first year in the NFL, giving him TE1 fantasy upside in 2025. Outside of WR1 Garrett Wilson, the Jets don't exactly star-studded receiving depth in Josh Reynolds, Allen Lazard and Arian Smith. Taylor will have intriguing rookie upside, but he'll still be better off drafted as a TE2 sleeper than a staple for those in single-TE leagues.