Who Should I Start? Zach Ertz or Darren Waller

Sunday, March 9, 7:04 AM

Veteran tight end Zach Ertz signed a one-year, $6.25 million contract with the Washington Commanders on Saturday. The deal includes up to $9 million in incentives. Ertz returns to the Commanders after a productive season in 2024 as quarterback Jayden Daniels' safety valve, owning 18% of Washington's target share. The three-time Pro Bowler caught 66 of 91 targets for 674 yards and seven touchdowns over 17 games. It was the first time since 2018 that Ertz played an entire season. With the emergence of Dyami Brown in the postseason and the Commanders trading for wide receiver Deebo Samuel Sr. in March, Ertz will have more competition for targets in 2025. Despite competing for targets with Terry McLaurin, Samuel, and Brown, Ertz remains a decent fantasy option at the tight end position. As Daniels' primary middle-of-the-field option, Ertz is a high-end TE2 heading into early best-ball drafts.

Wednesday, July 23, 6:22 PM

Miami Dolphins tight end Darren Waller starting training camp on the Physically Unable to Perform list is standard procedure for players coming out of retirement, according to head coach Mike McDaniel. "You're trying to be responsible. There's no gravity to it. This is a well-conditioned athlete who's in great shape. There's a 0 to 60 element in it that you try to be preventative and responsible as he gets his feet wet, that was our motivation," McDaniel said. The 32-year-old isn't dealing with a specific injury, but the Dolphins aren't going to throw Waller into the fire right away after he didn't play at all in 2024. When the regular season begins, Waller will be the team's top pass-catching tight end, although fantasy managers shouldn't expect him to necessarily put up the numbers Jonnu Smith did in a breakout year in 2024. Still, Waller will be attractive as a TE2 flier, especially in TE-premium leagues.