Who Should I Start? Mike Gesicki or Ja'Tavion Sanders

Tuesday, December 30, 3:00 PM

Cincinnati Bengals tight end Mike Gesicki has seen his snap share drop steadily over the past three games. Now, with nothing but divisional pride on the line in a Week 18 matchup with the Browns, there is no guarantee of playing time for the 30-year-old veteran in the first year of the three-year deal he signed this offseason. For fantasy managers still playing into Week 18, there are more alluring names to be found on the waiver wire, with a pleasant number of NFL teams still playing for something in the final week of the regular season. Gesicki did finish as the TE2 as recently as Week 14, so he does represent a ceiling uncommon to the waiver wire, but with an unclear picture of how the Bengals are approaching the end of the season, he is best viewed as a desperation-only play in deeper leagues.

Sunday, December 28, 5:08 PM

Carolina Panthers tight end Ja'Tavion Sanders (ankle) suffered a broken ankle during Sunday's Week 17 loss against the Seattle Seahawks, according to head coach Dave Kanales. He will undergo surgery during the upcoming week. This injury will shut down Sanders for the final week of the regular season and presumably all of the playoffs, should Carolina qualify. He ends the year with just 29 catches for 190 yards and one touchdown through 13 games. It was a disappointing campaign for the tight end out of Texas, who showed promise as a rookie but evidently wasn't able to take a second-year leap in 2025. Tommy Tremble, Mitchell Evans, and James Mitchell will step up as the Panthers' top tight ends going forward.