Who Should I Start? Zach Ertz or Durham Smythe

Sunday, January 19, 12:09 AM

Washington Commanders tight end Zach Ertz (concussion) caught all five of his targets for 28 yards and a score during their victory over the Detroit Lions on Saturday evening. Ertz left the game briefly in the first half while being evaluated for a concussion. However, shortly after returning, Ertz would find the back of the end zone on a five-yard strike from Jayden Daniels. This was a nice bounce back showing for the veteran tight end as he caught just two passes for 23 yards during their wild-card victory over the Tampa Bay Buccaneers. During the final seven weeks of the regular season, Ertz tallied an impressive six touchdowns. Despite his low-yardage outputs, the 34-year-old remains a solid TE1, given his usage in the red zone.

Tuesday, March 12, 1:14 PM

The Miami Dolphins restructured the contracts of tight end Durham Smythe, fullback Alec Ingold and defensive tackle Zach Sieler on Monday. Coupled with the conversion on cornerback Jalen Ramsey, the Dolphins were able to clear $28.78 million to get under the 2024 salary cap. The 28-year-old Smythe is a blocking first tight end who also served as the team's primary pass-catching tight end in 2023, finishing the year with 35 receptions on 43 targets for 366 yards and no touchdowns. Tight ends haven't been a big part of head coach Mike McDaniels' offense, and there's no reason to expect that to change entering the 2024 season. Smythe should be avoided in most fantasy drafts this fall after the Dolphins added Jonnu Smith to the TE room this offseason.