Who Should I Start? James Mitchell or Ko Kieft

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, September 23, 6:02 PM

The Tampa Bay Buccaneers placed tight end Ko Kieft (leg) on Injured Reserve on Tuesday with a leg injury, according to Greg Auman of FOX Sports. It's a key loss for the Bucs' special-teams unit, and Kieft will be forced to miss at least four games. The earliest that he'd be able to return would be in a Week 8 divisional matchup on the road against the New Orleans Saints. However, Rick Stroud of the Tampa Bay Times is reporting that Kieft's leg injury could keep him sidelined for the rest of the 2025 season. The 27-year-old tight end apparently injured his leg in the Week 3 win over the visiting New York Jets on Sunday. With Kieft now out for the foreseeable future, Devin Culp will jump up into the No. 3 spot on the team's TE depth chart behind Cade Otton and Payne Durham, heading into a Week 4 showdown against the 3-0 Philadelphia Eagles.