Ja’Tavion Sanders — 2026 Fantasy Outlook

Sanders gives Carolina an immediate boost in receiving production at tight end for his rookie season. He poses a real threat at the second level of defenses, particularly working across the middle on crossing routes. His run-blocking is serviceable for now and should only get better as he adds weight and strength. He also flashed big-play ability in college, averaging 15.2 yards per catch in 2023.

The Panthers selected Sanders in the fourth round of the 2024 draft. Over his last two seasons at Texas, he hauled in 99 passes for 1,295 yards and seven scores, with his strongest individual season coming in 2022 (54/613/5). In 2023, Sanders turned in three standout performances (5/114, 5/110, and 8/105/1).

In his rookie campaign, Sanders logged snaps on 51.4% of Carolina's offensive plays — the highest rate among the team's tight ends, aided by Tommy Tremble missing five games. He converted 33 of his 43 targets into receptions (a 76.7% catch rate) for 342 yards and a touchdown. His fantasy ceiling showed up in three games (5/49, 6/61, and 4/87), part of a midseason stretch where Carolina fed him 25 targets across five contests.

Other than a Week 2 flash (7/54 on nine targets) in 2025, Sanders was worthless to the fantasy market. He missed four games with an ankle injury and a broken leg. The Panthers gave him TE3 snaps (34.8%) across his 14 matchups (29/190/1 on 34 targets) while gaining 6.6 yards per catch.