Analyze Mason Taylor's matchup for week 7
Start Mason Taylor with confidence in Week 7; the historically TE-friendly Panthers have allowed 74 yds/g and 4 TDs to TEs, making the rookie a prime bounce-back after a one-target dud.
Carolina’s defense has been a tight-end buffet in 2025, surrendering 12.0 YPC, 74 yards per game, and four scores to the position. Taylor’s 27 % first-read share when the Jets’ offense is clicking pairs perfectly with this weakness, setting up a low-end TE1 ceiling.
Exploded for 6-5-66 lines and 26 % target share in Weeks 4-5, then vanished (1 tgt, 2 yd) against Denver’s elite coverage; underlying 71 % catch rate on 28 targets keeps the arrow gently up.
Bottom line, the floor is stable and the ceiling is top-five at the position. Fantasy managers have been conditioned to fear Jets volatility, but this matchup is a bankable exception: the Panthers’ scheme weaknesses, injury-depleted secondary, and Taylor’s re-established target share create a perfect storm. He should be started over every middling option—Kincaid, Freiermuth, Kmet, Hurst—because the path to 6-65-1 is far likelier than another one-target dud. Plug him in as a low-end TE1 and enjoy the buy-low payoff.