TE · CAR
transaction
Waiver: Ja'Tavion Sanders added
sleeper-tx-waiver+4 stories · 30dSource unavailable
Adds: Ja'Tavion Sanders
Ja'Tavion Sanders
TE · CAR · 23 yrs · exp 2 · Texas
Status
- Game status
- Active
Keep Trade Cut (SF TEP)
From latest snapshot · trend vs ~7d prior when data allows.
Value
2,149
Rank
#236
Pos rank
#43
7d trend
—
Value history (90d)
One snapshot point per calendar day (shown in your timezone).
Latest: Sep 7, 2026 · 2,149
News
Stories linked to this player — newest first.
TE · CAR
transaction
FA: Ja'Tavion Sanders dropped
sleeper-tx-free_agent+4 stories · 30dSource unavailable
Drops: Ja'Tavion Sanders
TE · CAR
TE · CAR
analyst
Darren Waller Playing With First Team, Seeing Snaps in the Slot
Darren Waller, 33, was observed lining up in the slot with the Carolina Panthers' first-team offense during training camp. Despite durability concerns and a limited nine-game season last year, Waller showed 'real burst' and is expected to be the top tight end option over Ja'Tavion Sanders, potentially impacting Sanders' roster spot. Waller's past success includes two 1,000-yard seasons with the Raiders, but his current fantasy value is seen as a sleeper pick
TE · CAR
transaction
FA: Ja'Tavion Sanders dropped
sleeper-tx-free_agent+4 stories · 30dSource unavailable
Drops: Ja'Tavion Sanders
TE · CAR
transaction
FA: Ja'Tavion Sanders dropped
sleeper-tx-free_agent+4 stories · 30dSource unavailable
Drops: Ja'Tavion Sanders
TE · CAR
transaction
FA: Ja'Tavion Sanders dropped
sleeper-tx-free_agent+4 stories · 30dSource unavailable
Drops: Ja'Tavion Sanders
general
Darren Waller agrees to terms with Panthers
A year after he ended his retirement to play for the Dolphins, veteran tight end Darren Waller is heading to Carolina. Via Adam Schefter of ESPN, Waller has agreed to terms on a one-year deal. A sixth-round pick of the Ravens in 2015, Waller became a Pro Bowler with the Raiders in 2020. Traded to the Giants in 2023, he retired after his first season in New York. He joined the Dolphins last year. Waller, 33, has a pair of 1,100-yard seasons, both with the Raiders. In 2025, he caught 24 passes for 283 yards and six touchdowns in nine games with the Dolphins. The Panthers currently have five tight ends on the roster: Tommy Tremble, Ja’Tavion Sanders, Caden Prieskorn, James Mitchell, and Feleipe Franks. Panthers associate head coach and offensive specialist Darrell Bevell worked with Waller last year in Miami, where Bevell served as the quarterbacks coach and passing game coordinator
analyst
Darren Waller Reaches Agreement With Panthers on One-Year Deal
Former Pro Bowl tight end Darren Waller and the Carolina Panthers reached an agreement on Wednesday on an undisclosed one-year deal, a source told Adam Schefter of ESPN. Waller, 33, will join a TE room in Carolina that already includes Ja'Tavion Sanders, Tommy Tremble, and Mitchell Evans. The former sixth-round pick out of Georgia Tech came out of retirement (after not playing in 2024) to play in nine games last year with the Miami Dolphins, catching 24 of 34 targets for 283 yards and six touchdowns. At 6-foot-6 and 238 pounds, Waller has always been a problem for defenses in the red zone, and he has 26 total touchdown catches in his nine years in the NFL. However, injuries were an issue for most of his career, and he missed time in 2025 with hip, groin, and pectoral issues. It's unclear right now how much of a role Waller will have with the Panthers, but his addition cannot be good news for Sanders' fantasy value. At best, Waller will be a touchdown-dependent, TE2 option in two-TE leagues in 2026 if he can actually stay on the field
analyst
Bryce Young Will Play in Preseason Game Against Buffalo
Carolina Panthers head coach Dave Canales said that the starters, including quarterback Bryce Young, will play in the team's preseason game this week against the Buffalo Bills, according to Panthers reporter Kassidy Hill. Young and the starters should get around 10 to 20 plays, depending on how the drives develop. The 25-year-old Young didn't take part in the team's Hall of Fame game last Thursday against the Arizona Cardinals, so he'll see his first preseason action this week. The former first overall pick in 2023 from the University of Alabama had the best year of his career in his third season in 2025, completing 63.6% of his pass attempts for 3,011 yards, 23 touchdowns, and 11 interceptions in 16 regular-season starts while leading the team to the NFC South title. However, it's debatable as to how much higher a ceiling Young has, especially since he doesn't have a big arm or very exciting targets outside of receiver Tetairoa McMillan. Young appears to be trending towards being a solid NFL starting QB, but for fantasy purposes, he's more of a low-end QB2 target with a low ceiling
analyst
John Metchie III a Candidate for WR3 Job in Carolina
Carolina Panthers wide receiver John Metchie III, who is with his fourth different NFL team in 2026 in a little more than 11 months, had a 19-yard rush and a 36-yard kick return in Thursday's Hall of Fame preseason game against the Arizona Cardinals. With rookie wideout Chris Brazzell II (knee) already ruled out for the 2026 season, The Charlotte Observer's Mike Kaye suggests that Metchie has a real shot to compete for the WR3 role this year in Carolina behind Tetairoa McMillan and Jalen Coker. The 26-year-old's primary competition will be Xavier Legette, a former first-rounder who has disappointed in his first two years in the NFL. If Metchie makes more noise in training camp and the preseason, he could have a role in the slot with the Panthers, although it wouldn't generate enough volume for the former second-rounder from Alabama to be much more than a bench stash in deeper redraft formats. In 16 games with the Philadelphia Eagles and Houston Texans in 2025, Metchie had career highs with 33 catches, 274 yards, and two touchdowns on 48 targets
TE · CAR
injury
Ja'Tavion Sanders — Questionable
Sleeper status change for Ja'Tavion Sanders (11600). Before: status=Active, injury_status=—. After: status=Active, injury_status=Questionable
TE · CAR
TE · CAR
analyst
Mitchell Evans Carted Off on Tuesday With Leg Injury
Carolina Panthers tight end Mitchell Evans (leg) injured his left leg in 11-on-11 team drills in training camp practice on Tuesday and was carted off the field, according to Joe Person of The Athletic. The specific nature of Evans' injury is unclear, but it doesn't look good. The 23-year-old was taken in the fifth round in last year's NFL draft out of Notre Dame, and he caught 19 of his 25 targets for just 171 yards and two touchdowns in 17 regular-season games (10 starts) in his first year in the NFL with Carolina. Evans was expected to once again take on a rotational role at tight end with the Panthers in his second year in the league behind top pass-catching TE option Ja'Tavion Sanders, which makes Evans avoidable in pretty much all fantasy leagues. Hopefully, Evans avoids a potentially season-ending leg injury
TE · CAR
trade
Trade: Ja'Tavion Sanders
sleeper-tx-trade+5 stories · 30dSource unavailable
Chicago/MSU League trade — RBs - WE HAVE THE MEATS received: Ja'Tavion Sanders and 2026 3rd round pick (orig DiosoICYAKS). Dont Mean A Thing 💍 received: 2026 3rd round pick (orig Four Horsemen) and 2028 4th round pick (orig Bloodline S2: Rock Bottom)
analyst
Tetairoa McMillan One of the Safest WR2 Options for 2026
Tetairoa McMillan is one of the safest WR2 options for 2026
analyst
Xavier Legette Drops Weight in the Offseason
Carolina Panthers wide receiver Xavier Legette said he lost seven to nine pounds in the offseason and is now down to 221 pounds, according to Joe Person of The Athletic. Legette also said he's tried to "bulletproof" his hamstrings after previously having issues with them. The 25-year-old, who was the 32nd overall pick in 2024 out of South Carolina, has failed to live up to his lofty draft capital in his first two years in the NFL in Carolina. Legette has totaled 84 receptions on 148 targets for 860 receiving yards and seven touchdowns in 31 regular-season games (25 starts). His production took a dip last year, too, as he finished with a 35-363-3 line on 64 targets across 15 regular-season contests. Last year's first-rounder, Tetairoa McMillan, looks like the real deal, and Jalen Coker appears primed to be a breakout candidate in his third year as the team's WR2. That leaves Legette battling with John Metchie III and rookie Chris Brazzell II for targets as the Panthers' WR3. In standard 12-team fantasy leagues in 2026, Legette should go undrafted
TE · CAR
analyst
Ja'Tavion Sanders (ankle) 'moving well' in practice
by Ari Koslow | Panthers Correspondent | Thu, Jun 11th 10:55am EDT Ja'Tavion Sanders is reportedly "moving well" in practice. ( Joe Person on Twitter ) Fantasy Impact: Sanders is working his way back from a broken ankle he suffered back in December. He appears on track to be good to go heading into training camp. JT Sanders moving well after breaking his ankle in December. Category: Injury Updates | More Ja'Tavion Sanders : News , Rankings , Projections , Stats
TE · CAR
transaction
FA: Ja'Tavion Sanders dropped
sleeper-tx-free_agent+5 stories · 30dSource unavailable
Drops: Ja'Tavion Sanders
TE · CAR
TE · CAR
analyst
Ja'Tavion Sanders Cutting Laterally at OTAs
Carolina Panthers tight end Ja'Tavion Sanders (leg) looks freshly healthy during OTA practices this week and was cutting laterally like he did before suffering a season-ending leg injury in 2025, according to Alex Zietlow of The Charlotte Observer. Sanders played in 13 games (five starts) last year in his second season in the NFL before suffering a broken right fibula in December that required surgery. The 23-year-old former fourth-rounder (101st overall) in 2024 out of the University of Texas caught 29 of his 34 targets for 190 yards and one touchdown before his injury. He's batting Tommy Tremble for the title of top pass-catching TE in Carolina, but Sanders has more fantasy upside long-term if he can stay on the field. Tremble is the better blocker of the two, and Sanders caught 33 passes for 342 yards and a score in 16 games (eight starts) in his first year in the league for the Panthers. Until we see more from Sanders in Year 3, he'll merely be a TE streaming option when bye weeks hit in 2026. RotoBaller currently has Sanders ranked as the No. 39 TE going into the upcoming campaign
TE · CAR
analyst
Ja'Tavion Sanders - Looking healthy at OTAs
sleeper-rotowire+5 stories · 30dSource unavailable
Sanders (fibula) is participating in practice at OTAs on Wednesday, Alex Zietlow of The Charlette Observer reports. Sanders is running and cutting laterally without issue at OTAs, and it appears he's officially back to full health after having undergone surgery to address a broken right fibula suffered last December. He and Tommy Tremble remain positioned as the Panthers' top options at the tight end position, with Sanders potentially being the favorite for more pass-catching utilization. Across 13 regular-season appearances in 2025, Sanders secured 29 of 34 targets for 190 yards and one score
analyst
Ja'Tavion Sanders a Dynasty Dart Throw With Potential Untapped Upside
Carolina Panthers tight end Ja'Tavion Sanders has quietly flown below fantasy radars for much of his first two seasons in the league, and while it's entirely possible that is where he'll remain, he's shown just enough to consider throwing a late-round dart his way in dynasty startups or inquiring about his acquisition cost in existing leagues. Since coming into the NFL as a 2024 fourth-round pick out of Texas, Sanders leads all Panthers tight ends with 62 receptions and 532 yards. While the competition is not particularly steep in dedicated blocker Tommy Tremble and 2025 fifth-rounder Mitchell Evans, the Panthers obviously felt strongly enough about the room to bypass the position entirely in a 2026 NFL Draft in which they made seven total selections. It's possible that Dave Canales' Carolina offense simply isn't designed to involve its tight ends in the passing game, but with the Panthers depth chart thinning quickly behind 2025 Offensive Player of the Year Tetairoa McMillan and the exciting, but still relatively unproven Jalen Coker, there is an opportunity to be had. At only 23 years old, if Sanders can stay healthy in 2026, something he was unable to do last season, he could see his usage spike, and with it his dynasty value
Data comes from cached Sleeper and KTC snapshots. Values update when the sync jobs run.