Who Should I Start? Zach Ertz or Chig Okonkwo


Week 1 Projections

Fant.
Pts.
Rush.
Yds.
Rush
TD
Rec. Rec.
Yds.
Rec
TD
5.8 0.0 0.0 2.6 23.8 0.1

Zach Ertz News

Zach Ertz Plans to Return for 14th Season

Tuesday, February 24, 5:40 AM

Three-time Pro Bowl tight end Zach Ertz (knee) plans to return in 2026 for a 14th NFL season and is expected to be cleared right around Week 1, sources told Tom Pelissero of the NFL Network. Ertz, who will be a free agent next month, is two months into rehab from a torn ACL. The 35-year-old veteran ranks fifth in catches and eighth in yards among tight ends in NFL history, including 50 catches for 504 yards and four touchdowns in 13 games last before before suffering his season-ending knee injury in Week 14 against the Minnesota Vikings on Dec. 7. Given his age and uncertainty about whether he'll actually be 100% ready to play in the season opener this fall, Ertz's fantasy stock will drop considerably going into the 2026 season. In his first year in Washington in 2024, Ertz had a 66-654-7 line in 17 games played.


Week 1 Projections

Fant.
Pts.
Rush.
Yds.
Rush
TD
Rec. Rec.
Yds.
Rec
TD
9.3 0.0 0.0 4.5 37.2 0.2

Chig Okonkwo News

Chig Okonkwo a Possibility for Commanders in Free Agency

Thursday, March 5, 4:35 PM

The Washington Commanders will rank in the top five for most salary cap space available this offseason, and ESPN's John Keim writes that they would like to add another tight end. Tennessee Titans impending free-agent tight end Chig Okonkwo is a possibility. Okonkwo led the Titans in receiving in 2025 with 56 catches on 79 targets for a career-high 560 yards and only two touchdowns in 17 games played in his fourth year in the league. However, the 26-year-old only ranked as the No. 22 tight end in half-PPR scoring last year, losing valuable targets and playing time to rookie Gunnar Helm, especially in the second half of the season. The Titans are expected to move forward with Helm as their pass-catching TE in 2026 and into the future, leaving Okonkwo to find a new team. Zach Ertz is a free agent, so if Okonkwo were to land in D.C., he could have a clearer path to TE1 utility in fantasy leagues this fall.


Zach Ertz vs. Chig Okonkwo

Still trying to decide between Ertz and Okonkwo? Check on the latest news to make sure both players are active and healthy. Our PPR projections show that Zach Ertz is projected to score 5.8 points this week while Chig Okonkwo is projected to score 9.3 points.