Who Should I Start? Zach Ertz or Josh Downs

Friday, November 22, 5:42 PM

Washington Commanders tight end Zach Ertz should continue to be viewed as a low-end TE1 in Week 12 when he faces the Dallas Cowboys. Last week, during their loss to the Philadelphia Eagles, Ertz brought in six of his seven targets for 47 yards and his second touchdown of the season. Since Week 6, Ertz has scored double-digit PPR points in four of the six contests and averaged 6.2 targets per game in this span. With a lack of a proven No.2 option in the passing attack, Ertz has continued to see a steady volume of work weekly. Fantasy managers in deeper formats should continue to view Ertz as a solid option this weekend when facing a struggling Cowboys defense that has allowed 34 points in each of their past two games.

Friday, November 22, 6:30 PM

Indianapolis Colts wide receiver Josh Downs leads his team in targets (71) and yards per game (63.0). Quarterback Anthony Richardson looked his way five times in Week 11 and Downs caught all five balls for 84 yards and a touchdown. Coming into the contest with a 44.4% completion rate, there were concerns about Richardson's ability to get his receivers the ball, but he proved that he could still do it, even against a strong Jets pass defense (20-for-30, 66.7%). The Colts are seven-point underdogs for Sunday's contest against the Lions so there should be plenty of opportunities for Downs as the offense tries to keep pace with Detroit. With five catches in six of nine games played and the clear No. 1 receiver, the former third-round draft pick has a pretty reliable floor. The second-year pro sets up as a back-end WR2 this week with some small upside given his ability to find the zone (four TDs in 2024).