Carolina Panthers rookie tight end Ja'Tavion Sanders only had two receptions for eight yards in Sunday's 20-17 win over the New York Giants, but one of those receptions was a five-yard touchdown the first of Sanders' career. The score came on a nifty Bryce Young scramble, which froze the defense and left Sanders alone in the back of the end zone. The fourth-round pick was due for his moment after recording 51 yards per game in Carolina's previous four weeks. Still, Sanders has had fewer than 10 yards in two of his last three games, making him a risky streaming option. Carolina has a bye in Week 11 and will take on the Kansas City Chiefs in Week 12 coming off the bye.
Ja'Tavion Sanders Off The Injury Report, Cleared To Play Against The Giants
Carolina Panthers rookie tight end Ja'Tavion Sanders (ankle, wrist) came off the injury report Friday and will play against the New York Giants in Week 10. Over the last month, Sanders has been the Panthers' most reliable target, averaging four receptions for 51 yards per game during that stretch. Unfortunately, the rookie has yet to find the end zone in his NFL career, which has hurt his production numbers, but that milestone should indeed be crossed soon. The Giants defend tight ends surprisingly well, ranking third in the league in points allowed against the position. With tight end Tommy Tremble (back) questionable, Sanders should see the majority of snaps once again. He is ranked as TE21 by RotoBaller for this matchup.
Ja'Tavion Sanders, Tommy Tremble Limited On Thursday
Carolina Panthers tight ends Ja'Tavion Sanders (ankle, wrist) and Tommy Tremble (back) were both listed as limited in Thursday's practice. Meanwhile, Feleipe Franks (concussion) practiced in full for the second straight day. Tremble was a full-go on Wednesday, while Sanders is popping up on the injury report for the first time this week. Sanders has certainly been more involved in recent weeks as a pass-catcher than he was in the first four games of his NFL career. He's had at least five targets in four of his last five games and has a 19-217-0 line in his last five games. The 21-year-old has yet to find the end zone, though, and remains nothing more than a low-upside TE2 streamer in deeper fantasy leagues if he's active in Week 10 in Germany against the New York Giants. The return of Tremble would certainly be bad news for Sanders.
Ja'Tavion Sanders Has Another Impressive Outing Against New Orleans
Carolina Panthers rookie tight end Ja'Tavion Sanders set a career-high in Week 9 with 87 receiving yards on four receptions against the New Orleans Saints. Sanders again received the bulk of offensive snaps as veteran tight end Tommy Tremble (back) was inactive, missing his third game in the last four weeks. In Week 8, the one game Tremble was active for in October, Sanders played just 36% of the snaps and recorded one reception for seven yards. While the rookie certainly offers waiver wire value, there remains concern that the coaching staff has preferred Tremble when healthy. Regardless, Sanders could have an opportunity further to cement himself against a weak Giants defense in Germany.
Ja'Tavion Sanders, Tommy Tremble Limited Again On Thursday
Carolina Panthers tight ends Ja'Tavion Sanders (groin, wrist) and Tommy Tremble (back) were both limited participants in practice for the second straight day this week on Thursday. With Tremble inactive last weekend, Sanders was one of the few bright spots for the Panthers on offense in their 40-7 loss to the Washington Commanders, catching all six of his targets for 61 yards. However, the 21-year-old could struggle to replicate those numbers in Week 8 versus a strong Denver Broncos defense on the road this Sunday, especially with second-year quarterback Bryce Young back in as the starter following an injury to Andy Dalton (thumb). In addition, Sanders probably won't see as many snaps on offense if Tremble is able to return to the fold this weekend. Sanders has only 19 receptions on 24 targets for 151 scoreless yards in his first seven NFL games in 2024.
Ja'Tavion Sanders, Tommy Tremble Limited With Injuries
Carolina Panthers tight ends Ja'Tavion Sanders (groin, wrist) and Tommy Tremble (back) were both listed as limited for Wednesday's team practice. Tremble has been in and out of the lineup all season with a myriad of injuries and hasn't appeared in action since the team's Week 5 loss to the Chicago Bears. Wednesday marked his first practice session since last Thursday. Conversely, Sanders has been among the more productive Panthers over the last few weeks, but the groin and wrist injuries are new. Over the next few days, his status will be telling regarding the team's Week 9 road tilt against the Denver Broncos. However, even if he's healthy -- fantasy managers contemplating starting him this weekend may want to exhibit caution against an excellent Broncos' defense. Additionally, second-year quarterback Bryce Young will be making his first start since Week 2, with veteran Andy Dalton (thumb) dealing with the aftereffects of a recent car accident.
Carolina Panthers tight end Ja'Tavion Sanders caught 5-of-7 targets for 49 yards in Sunday's loss to their division-rival Atlanta Falcons. It was the most productive outing of Sanders' young career thus far, and he's performed well in the stead of teammate Tommy Tremble (concussion). The rookie tight end's five targets in Week 5 were more than Tremble had racked up in any contest this season, and he might have made a case for a more prominent role even when the injured Tremble returns to the lineup. It's a case worth monitoring, though the future of this offense is murky. For now, Andy Dalton is the quarterback, but for how long has yet to be determined. The 21-year-old could be busy again in Week 7 when he lines up against a Washington Commanders squad that came into this Sunday averaging the most points in the NFL. However, he'll be tough to trust as a viable source of fantasy output, especially if Tremble is active.
Carolina Panthers rookie tight end Ja'Tavion Sanders caught both of his targets 22 yards in the team's loss to the New York Jets, leading the team in yards on the day. The former Texas Longhorn was picked up in the fourth round of this year's draft and stands a chance to take over as the TE1 in Carolina this upcoming season. Current depth charts slate him as the TE3 behind Tommy Tremble and Ian Thomas, but he is a name to keep an eye on as he continues to be mixed into the offense. He'll look to climb further up the depth chart on Saturday when the Panthers take on the Bills in their final preseason game.
Ja'Tavion Sanders Could Move Around In Panthers Offense
Carolina Panthers rookie tight end Ja'Tavion Sanders said his goal in the NFL is to be as good as former All-Pro Greg Olsen. Sanders, a converted receiver at Texas, averaged 49.5 catches a year with the Longhorns with an average of 648 yards and 3.5 touchdowns. His role with the Panthers is not clear yet, but head coach Dave Canales said on Saturday that Sanders will play both the "F" and the "Y" roles, dependent on pass plays versus 12 personnel. "He's a guy, you can move around a little bit more, maybe play him in the slot a little bit," Canales said, adding, "we look for those versatile type of tight ends." The 21-year-old was taken with the 101st overall pick in the fourth round this year but could immediately become the team's best pass-catching tight end over both Tommy Tremble and Ian Thomas. Still, fantasy managers in single-year leagues in 2024 should temper expectations for Sanders in Carolina's offense.
Panthers Take Ja'Tavion Sanders To Kick Off Fourth Round
The Carolina Panthers selected Texas tight end Ja'Tavion Sanders with the 101st overall pick to start the fourth round of the 2024 NFL draft on Saturday. This appears to be a pretty good value pick as tight ends begin to come off the board in the fourth round. The 21-year-old Sanders was considered one of this year's best prospects at the position and will now join Tommy Tremble and Ian Thomas at the tight end position in Carolina to give second-year quarterback Bryce Young some more help. Tremble and Thomas are more of the blocking variety, so Sanders could have an impact on offense in his rookie year in 2024 after posting the fourth-most receiving yards after the catch in college last year. Still, in an offense that looked awful in 2023, we'd be surprised if Sanders is on the fantasy radar in redraft leagues in 2024.
Ja'Tavion Sanders
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Panthers
