Ja'Tavion Sanders Scouting Report

  • Underdog ADP: 203.0 Overall (TE28), rookie TE2

Evaluating the TE position has become a binary exercise for fantasy managers.

They either score points or they don’t. 

Outside of a single-digit set of veterans, we’ll use two or three TEs to cobble together enough useable weeks to get our squads into the playoffs. And rookies are even tougher to gauge. The list of freshmen to make an impact on our game has been unsurprisingly short.

  • 2023: Sam LaPorta, 14.1 PPR PPG
  • 2021: Kyle Pitts, 10.4
  • 2017: Evan Engram, 11.6

So, when I first looked at Ja’Tavion Sanders (aka a non-Brock-Bowers TE), I was skeptical. His athletic profile doesn’t fit the mold of a pass-catcher we should monitor.

However, his 40-yard time caught my eye. And his back-to-back seasons with a target share of over 15.0% (in an offense featuring two prominent WRs in this class) challenge my earlier thoughts on TE. So much of the position relies on not just talent but situation. Luckily, Sanders has the first part (mostly) covered.

Pros and Cons of Ja'Tavion Sanders

 

Pros

Potential WR2 Playing TE

In actual football, TEs have multiple responsibilities. From blocking to being a receiver, their required versatility is part of the slow development we usually see. But fantasy gamers only care about one of their duties: catching the ball. But there’s nuance to it.

Like WRs, TEs also have multiple archetypes. Travis Kelce doesn’t play the game the same way Tucker Kraft does. But running routes, earning looks ahead of (or in line with) your teammates, and making big plays in traffic are still how both produce fantasy points. And Sanders demonstrated a similar skillset in college

Mr. Garvin highlights an important takeaway to Sanders’ game: route versatility. Screens, seams and out-breaking routes are all a part of the 2.5-minute clip. Plus, his ability to leapfrog tacklers. Regardless, the fact the Texans’ coaching staff relied on him in multiple ways suggests he was a larger part of the offense than a typical TE. His yearly target share backs up this idea.

Sanders operated as the second or third passing option for the Longhorns. His 18.3% and 20.6% TPRR over his final two seasons ranked in the top three. And he did this while playing alongside speedy Xavier Worthy and Adonai Mitchell (in 2023). More importantly, as the film indicates, he did it in different ways (e.g., long speed, breaking tackles). 

While undersized compared to his brethren, Sanders would (and has) terrorized defenders mismatched with him, given the attention required by his teammates. In a similar situation at the pro level, Sanders could seamlessly slide into a utility role.

College Production Translate to Fantasy Success

I’ll let Dwain do the talking to set this point up. 

If you haven’t, check out Dwain’s Rookie Super Model for a detailed look at career receiving yards per team pass attempt (RYPTPA). It accounts for critical factors like age, class, aDOT and team quality. Of course, Brock Bowers tops the class. But Sanders isn’t too far behind.

After seeing Sanders’ target shares, it makes sense that the Texans’ TE would be second in the class. He crested 600 yards and multiple touchdowns in his two years as a starter. However, I took this stat a bit further.

Let’s say you don’t believe in career RYPTPA. A lot of the inputs are things out of the player’s control. They’re not in charge of who’s on or off the team. Coaches decide what routes they run or their depth. Not them. So, I added a stat they can (kind of) control: YAC. Sanders already had the optimal external factors working in his favor. Combined with his own athletic ability, he measures up with some of the better prospects to recently enter the league.

First takeaway: Sanders has the size/speed measurables consistent with most of the high-end TE prospects over the last five years. The second takeaway is that if the majority earned Day 1 or Day 2 draft capital, Sanders could, too. His feel for working through coverage to find soft spots is what made creating explosive plays simple for Sanders.

Man or zone coverage, it didn’t matter. Sanders was able to work through coverage to make catches in tight windows for long gains. And, critically, he was able to create after the catch to keep his offense ahead of the chains.

Cons

Inconsistent Blocker

Let’s face reality. Sanders plays TE. And, as I mentioned earlier, they have multiple jobs. It’s true teams have shifted away from traditional usage. Some of our favorite TEs are more pass-catchers than pass-blockers.

  • Dalton Kincaid: 1.2% pass-blocking snap rate
  • Kyle Pitts: 2.0%
  • Mark Andrews: 2.3%
  • Evan Engram: 3.2%
  • Travis Kelce: 3.6%

But their receiving efficiency aligns with top-end WRs. Kelce, Andrews and Kincaid (post Stefon Diggs’ trade) can be focal points of their respective offenses. However, Sanders benefitted from the gravity his teammates created. As a result, his coaches still asked him to block, which didn’t always turn out well.

Going all the way back to his athletic profile, here’s where his size concerns become an issue. Even in college, his technique didn’t consistently create the right gaps or hold defenders away from the QB long enough to produce a positive play. And even though the Texas coaching staff didn’t put Sanders in to block as often relative to his class, he still lagged behind his peers in PFF’s blocking grade.

Some of Sanders’ problems could come from his technique. However, the obvious weight deficiency could be the factor that turns teams away. At best, he loses snaps while part of a rotation as he learns the ropes. In the worst-case scenario, Sanders’s draft stock falls due to teams not knowing how to use him right away.

Fantasy Football Outlook for Ja'Tavion Sanders

There’s no question about Sanders’ receiving skillset. From having the ability to execute multiple routes to producing on his opportunities, the Longhorns TE was the perfect complement to the WRs. We saw Sanders do it against actual defenders, and he showcased the same ball-tracking traits at the NFL Combine.

So, I’m not surprised to see the mock draft community hold Sanders in high regard. 

In a class featuring multiple QBs, WRs and OTs, Day 2 draft capital would have us all interested. But then there’s the question about his fit.

Situation becomes more of a fulcrum for Sanders’ fantasy value. With a forward-thinking HC or OC, Sanders’ shortcomings as a blocker might not matter. He’s a move TE; deploy him as such. However, in a stagnant offense or one lacking in surrounding talent, Sanders’ fantasy production may sink with his new team.

Ideal Fits: Bengals, Rams, Commanders