Who Should I Start? James Mitchell or Darnell Washington

Wednesday, September 24, 6:20 PM

Carolina Panthers tight end James Mitchell has an opportunity to make some noise with Ja'Tavion Sanders (ankle) expected to miss multiple weeks with a high-ankle sprain, according to Jeremy Fowler of ESPN. Tommy Tremble will move to the top of the Panthers' TE depth chart with Sanders injured, but he's more of a blocker than a pass-catcher, so Mitchell might have a chance to make some noise going forward in his first year in Carolina. The 26-year-old former fifth-round selection (177th overall) by the Detroit Lions in 2022 out of Virginia Tech has caught all 13 of his targets for 141 yards and one touchdown in 30 games played (one start) in his three NFL seasons with the Lions before joining the Panthers on a reserve/futures contract back in January. Mitchell is only worth a look on the waiver wire in the deepest of fantasy leagues at the moment.

Tuesday, November 4, 7:06 PM

Pittsburgh Steelers tight end Darnell Washington hauled in four of six targets for 43 yards in a Week 9 victory over the Indianapolis Colts. While Washington's box score output may look modest, his utilization on Sunday was noteworthy. Although he and quarterback Aaron Rodgers were unable to connect for a touchdown, Rodgers looked his way on two consecutive passes inside the five-yard line in the first quarter. Washington later saw another red-zone opportunity, catching a pass and taking it 13 yards before being brought down at the goal line. On the season, Washington now has seven red-zone targets, tied for the 13th-most amongst all tight ends and just one fewer than teammate DK Metcalf, who leads the Steelers with eight. While his role remains too inconsistent to trust in most redraft leagues, Washington is worth a speculative add in dynasty and deeper formats heading into a Week 10 bout with the Los Angeles Chargers.