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

Friday, September 26, 9:13 PM

Pittsburgh Steelers tight end Pat Freiermuth has been quiet to start the season and will look to get back on track against the Minnesota Vikings in Week 4. While the Vikings have been middle-of-the-pack against opposing tight ends through three weeks, Freiermuth could see a boost in opportunities given Pittsburgh's injury report. Fellow tight end Jonnu Smith (hip) and running back Jaylen Warren (knee) are questionable to suit up after practicing in a limited capacity on Friday. Each has been a reliable short-area target for quarterback Aaron Rodgers, so if either of them misses this international bout in Ireland, Freiermuth would likely absorb some of those looks. Fantasy managers should monitor the situation, but in a matchup that projects to be low-scoring, Freiermuth remains a risky play and is best considered a stash or backup option.

Friday, October 3, 1:31 PM

The Carolina Panthers have officially ruled out tight end Ja'Tavion Sanders (ankle) for the Week 5 matchup on Sunday against the visiting Miami Dolphins, per The Athletic's Joe Person. Sanders will miss his second straight game after suffering the dreaded high-ankle sprain back in Week 3. High-ankle sprains can keep players out up to four to six weeks, so Sanders could end up missing a third straight contest next week against the Dallas Cowboys. Even before his injury, Sanders wasn't much of an option for fantasy managers in 12-team leagues. With Sanders sidelined in last week's loss to the New England Patriots, Tommy Tremble stepped up for five catches on eight targets for 42 yards and his first touchdown of the year. Tremble is known as more of a blocking TE, though, so expecting more relevant fantasy production might be a mistake. Still, he'll at least be in play as a TE2 streamer this weekend in a good matchup against Miami. Head coach Dave Canales said the hope is that Sanders is ready to go next week.