Who Should I Start? Zach Ertz or Ja'Tavion Sanders

Friday, September 5, 7:43 PM

Washington Commanders veteran tight end Zach Ertz returns for a second season with the team, looking to remain a reliable target for young quarterback Jayden Daniels in Week 1 against the Giants. Ertz turned back the clock a bit in his age-34 season, racking up 66 catches for 654 yards and scoring seven touchdowns. His efficiency in particular rebounded significantly, with his 7.2 yards per target being the highest in a season since 2018. He served as a safety blanket for his young quarterback, consistently getting open in the red zone and on third downs. Ertz has spoken incredibly highly of Daniels since they've been together, comparing him to his former Stanford teammate, Andrew Luck. The ceiling isn't very high for Ertz in fantasy this season, but he is a safe and projectable option to pair with an upside bet at tight end late in drafts. He should be viewed as a low-end TE1 for the season opener on Sunday.

Saturday, August 30, 10:12 AM

Carolina Panthers tight end Ja'Tavion Sanders put together an impressive training camp, most notably as a receiver. Head coach Dave Canales recently spoke about his improvement as a pass-catcher. The second-year, fourth-round pick caught 33 passes for 342 yards and one touchdown during his rookie season. Interestingly, he did that on only 43 targets. Sanders was on the field often, but wasn't a favorite target for quarterback Bryce Young. Following an absence in Week 13 due to an injury, Sanders was almost completely uninvolved in the Carolina passing attack. He projects to be Carolina's primary tight end in 2025, but his rookie inconsistencies have made him nothing more than a late-round dart throw in fantasy football redraft leagues.