Who Should I Start? Pat Freiermuth or Ja'Tavion Sanders

Sunday, August 3, 1:28 PM

Pittsburgh Steelers tight end Pat Freiermuth is the team's unquestioned No. 1 tight end and "the heartbeat of this offense," according to Mark Kaboly of The Pat McAfee Show. Kaboly adds that Jonnu Smith was a late addition to the roster and "will provide a significant target for quarterback Aaron Rodgers." It sounds like the Steelers plan to use Smith in a lot of different ways, but as of right now before the start of the preseason, Freiermuth is going to be the team's top pass-catching tight end. Freiermuth caught a career-high 65 passes on 78 targets last year for 653 yards and a career-high-tying seven touchdowns in 17 regular-season games (11 starts). Both Friermuth and Smith should be on the field together plenty, and it's probably going to be impossible to predict which one might go off for fantasy purposes on any given week.

Monday, August 4, 11:13 AM

Carolina Panthers tight end Ja'Tavion Sanders continues to impress during training camp this year. Sanders has been the Panthers' offensive MVP thus far in camp, according to the Charlotte Observer's Mike Kaye. Sanders "is catching passes in droves and is adding yards after the catch with regularity," Kaye wrote in his Stock Watch piece on Monday. Sanders, heading into his second NFL season, also looks leaner and more muscular this year after playing at 255 pounds as a rookie. The young tight end appears primed for a breakout in 2025 on an ascending Panthers offense, making him an interesting dart-throw as a late-round option in fantasy drafts later this summer.