Who Should I Start? Zach Ertz or Dawson Knox

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.

Tuesday, February 10, 2:42 PM

The Athletic's Joe Buscaglia lists Buffalo Bills tight end Dawson Knox as a cut candidate this offseason. The Bills can save $9.664 million if they were to cut Knox, who caught 36 of his 49 targets for 417 yards and four touchdowns in 17 regular-season games in 2025. Buffalo already has Dalton Kincaid and Jackson Hawes, players with complementary skill sets, and the team has already committed to giving Kincaid his fifth-year option for 2027. Hawes is signed through 2028. Knox has a solid blend of both pass-catching and blocking skills, and he's also one of quarterback Josh Allen's best friends on the team, which makes a decision to cut him more difficult. Ultimately, saving over $9 million will probably trump everything else. Buffalo currently projects to be over the 2026 salary cap by just $7 million. The 29-year-old Knox might see a bump in fantasy value if he joins a new team.