Who Should I Start? Zach Ertz or Isaiah Likely

Saturday, August 16, 2:31 PM

Washington Commanders tight end Zach Ertz will sit out Monday's preseason matchup with the Bengals. While he's not listed on the injury report, the team is expected to rest the 33-year-old veteran as a precaution. Ertz has secured the starting role and should remain a steady option for quarterback Jayden Daniels this season. The veteran played all 17 games last year, his first full campaign since 2021. Ertz projects as a low-end TE2 in fantasy and is unlikely to be drafted outside of deeper formats, but he remains a reliable security blanket in Washington's offense.

Thursday, September 4, 2:41 PM

Baltimore Ravens tight end Isaiah Likely (foot) missed practice again on Thursday, putting his Week 1 availability in serious doubt. The 25-year-old has not practiced since undergoing foot surgery on August 1, and it appears unlikely he will be ready for the opener. Likely carved out a meaningful role in 2024, appearing in 16 games (nine starts) and recording 42 catches for 477 yards and six touchdowns. The expectation entering this season was that Likely would continue to complement star tight end Mark Andrews, but his absence to start the year should consolidate targets for Andrews in Baltimore's passing game. Fantasy managers should confidently deploy Andrews as a TE1, while Likely profiles more as a stash option who could regain relevance once healthy and gradually work back into a secondary role in the Ravens' offense.