Ja’Tavion Sanders's Stats, Metrics, Game Logs, Projections & Rankings

Carolina Panthers rookie tight end Ja'Tavion Sanders earned one target in Week 17 and turned that into a five-yard reception in Sunday's 48-14 loss to the Tampa Bay Buccaneers. In this one, Sanders took a clear backseat to the Panthers' receivers, Adam Thielen and Xavier Legette. In addition, the Buccaneers dictated game flow in this one, as they dominated the game and time of possession with 41 minutes compared to the Panthers' 19, making it difficult for Carolina's playmakers to make a difference in this contest. Sanders became fantasy-relevant in the middle of the season with 18 catches for 212 yards and a touchdown from Week 6 through Week 10. However, since Week 14, he has only earned three total targets, making him nothing more than a dynasty stash for fantasy managers. The Panthers will travel to Atlanta this week to take on the Falcons, and Sanders should be on your bench.

Carolina Panthers rookie tight end Ja'Tavion Sanders is not a viable option in Week 17 when he faces the Tampa Bay Buccaneers. Over his past three contests, Sanders has seen just two targets across and did not bring in any of them. However, earlier in the season, Sanders saw a solid 4.1 targets per game, during Weeks 5 through 12. During this span, he tallied 8.2 PPR points per game and found the end zone one time. The Panthers will be without top running back Chuba Hubbard (knee), which could force them to rely on Bryce Young to push the ball downfield to keep up with a potent Tampa Bay offense. However, given Sanders' unreliable target share of the past month, fantasy managers should not consider starting him in any format.

Carolina Panthers rookie tight end Ja'Tavion Sanders should be viewed as a risky TE2 in Week 16 when he faces the Arizona Cardinals. Over his previous two contests, Sanders has seen just two total targets and has been unable to bring in any of them. However, during Weeks 5 through 12, Sanders saw solid 4.1 targets per game and averaged 8.2 PPR points per game during this span. He tallied at least 40+ receiving yards in four of these seven games. However, as of late, Sanders as not been very involved in the Carolina passing attack. Dynasty managers should continue to hold onto him as he has shown upside at times throughout his rookie campaign. For now, he should remain out of all lineups given his unreliable target share and tough matchup as the Cardinals have allowed the fourth-fewest PPR points to the tight end position.

Carolina Panthers tight end Ja'Tavion Sanders posted a dud during last week's loss to the Philadelphia Eagles. Sanders failed to haul in his lone target of the game as he only played 49 percent of the offensive snaps. To be fair, it was his first game back from a neck injury, so possibly the Panthers were being cautious with him. The expectation is that Sanders is going to continue splitting up the reps with Tommy Tremble. That being said, Sanders won't be too appealing of a fantasy option for the Week 15 matchup against the Dallas Cowboys. He should be considered a TE2 as he figures to see more involvement this week.

Carolina Panthers rookie tight end Ja'Tavion Sanders (neck) is officially active for Week 14 against the Philadelphia Eagles on Sunday despite being given a questionable tag on Friday's final injury report. Sanders suffered a scary neck injury in the Week 12 loss to the Kansas City Chiefs and went to the hospital, but he thankfully avoided a serious injury. He was held out of last week's overtime loss to the division-rival Tampa Bay Buccaneers but is returning to face the Eagles this Sunday in a game in which the Panthers will likely have to throw the ball often. The 21-year-old will continue to share playing time with Tommy Tremble in Carolina, but he's at least worth a look as a TE2 sleeper in his return with six teams on bye in Week 14. Sanders scored his first touchdown of the year in Week 10 and had a season-high 87 receiving yards in Week 9.