Who is the starting tight end for the Panthers in fantasy football?

The Carolina Panthers are continuing their rebuild and are an interesting team for the 2022 season. Head coach Matt Rhule is on the hot seat as new quarterback Baker Mayfield looks to reignite his career in a new uniform. While Christian McCaffrey and DJ Moore are the focal points of the Carolina offense, the Panthers have been known to lean on their tight end in the past when Greg Olsen was on the team. Can they find a new tight end to replicate his success?

Who is the starting tight end for the Carolina Panthers?

Ian Thomas came into the preseason as the starting tight end, but due to a Pedal Ankle Bruise, was sidelined in the early part of the summer. This allowed second-year tight end Tommy Tremble to see extra action and surpass Thomas. Tremble was drafted in the third round of the 2021 NFL Draft. He played in 16 games and caught 20 of his 35 targets for 180 yards and a touchdown.

Will he split offensive snaps?

Thomas played 61.18% of snaps while Tremble saw 45.34% of snaps. Carolina tends to employ two tight end sets, so I would expect to see a similar breakdown this season. Tremble should see more playing time than Thomas, it just depends on how quickly he can develop the rapport with Mayfield.

Should I draft him in fantasy football?

The Panthers haven't had a season-long fantasy-relevant tight end in years. That doesn’t mean that Tremble won’t emerge as a potential fill-in when given a plus-matchup. Personally, I think Tremble will have some value this season, but it won’t come during the draft, so keep an eye on him as a waiver add.