Who Should I Start? Zach Ertz or Brenton Strange

Friday, September 5, 7:43 PM

Washington Commanders veteran tight end Zach Ertz returns for a second season with the team, looking to remain a reliable target for young quarterback Jayden Daniels in Week 1 against the Giants. Ertz turned back the clock a bit in his age-34 season, racking up 66 catches for 654 yards and scoring seven touchdowns. His efficiency in particular rebounded significantly, with his 7.2 yards per target being the highest in a season since 2018. He served as a safety blanket for his young quarterback, consistently getting open in the red zone and on third downs. Ertz has spoken incredibly highly of Daniels since they've been together, comparing him to his former Stanford teammate, Andrew Luck. The ceiling isn't very high for Ertz in fantasy this season, but he is a safe and projectable option to pair with an upside bet at tight end late in drafts. He should be viewed as a low-end TE1 for the season opener on Sunday.

Thursday, September 4, 11:21 AM

Jacksonville Jaguars third-year tight end Brenton Strange is listed as the team's starting option on the official Week 1 depth chart. Strange appeared in all 17 games last season but played just 55.6% of Jacksonville's overall snaps. Even with ex-teammate Evan Engram missing a good chunk of the season (eight games), the 24-year-old never consistently impacted the field. In 2025, Strange will get the opportunity to be more productive than his 40/411/2 line from last season, though he'll face stiff target competition in wide receivers Brian Thomas Jr. and rookie Travis Hunter. There is a way to go before the Penn State product reaches fantasy relevance (RotoBaller's PPR TE20 in Week 1), but he could provide some spike weeks this season as the potential third option in the Jags' passing attack. He's a more intriguing asset in best ball and dynasty formats for now.