Who Should I Start? Jonnu Smith or Ja'Tavion Sanders

Saturday, November 1, 1:21 PM

Pittsburgh Steelers tight end Jonnu Smith has seen underwhelming utilization this season and will hope to turn things around at home against the Indianapolis Colts in Week 9. The Colts have allowed the fourth-most receptions and fifth-most fantasy points per contest to opposing tight ends, opening the door for Smith to contribute in this matchup. Still, it remains difficult to predict how opportunities will be distributed among the crowded Steelers' tight end room. Between Smith, Pat Freiermuth, and Darnell Washington, Smith is the most viable fantasy option, but none can be relied upon with confidence. The 30-year-old checks in as the TE21 in RotoBaller's Week 9 rankings.

Saturday, November 1, 12:47 AM

Ja'Tavion Sanders has been a complete afterthought in the Panthers' passing attack all season. In five games played, Sanders has just 14 receptions for 111 yards and is averaging 5.0 PPR fantasy points per game. Last week against the Buffalo Bills, Sanders caught all three of his targets for only 19 yards and 4.9 PPR fantasy points. This week, Carolina will face the Green Bay Packers, who allow 17.93 fantasy points against tight ends, ranking 30th of all NFL teams this year. Even though the matchup looks favorable, Sanders hasn't delivered enough to be worthy of any fantasy consideration. Bryce Young is back after missing last week's game due to an ankle injury, which can help Carolina's passing offense, but Sanders still likely won't contribute enough for fantasy purposes. Although this is an excellent matchup for tight ends, Sanders is not rosterable outside of Dynasty leagues, and his appeal in that format is dwindling.