Who Should I Start? Zach Ertz or Luke Musgrave

Friday, October 31, 11:50 PM

Washington Commanders tight end Zach Ertz has seen six or more targets in three straight games since his no-catch performance in Week 5 against the Chargers. The veteran tight end continues to be a reliable threat in the red zone, leading the team with four receiving touchdowns. The 34-year-old will be happy to have second-year quarterback Jayden Daniels back as the starter, who he has been more productive with compared to backup Marcus Mariota. Ertz has uncharacteristically had multiple costly drops this season. The veteran has already totaled five drops in only eight games this season, more than he had all of last year and one off of his career high of six back in 2021. Ertz will likely see a solid target share with top wideout Terry McLaurin (quadriceps) out, and it's a decent matchup against a Seattle defense that has allowed 47 receptions to opposing tight ends, tied for seventh most. Ertz is ranked as RotoBaller's TE13 in PPR formats for Sunday Night Football.

Wednesday, November 5, 10:01 AM

Green Bay Packers tight end Luke Musgrave is set to step up as the team's new TE1 with the unfortunate injury to Tucker Kraft (knee) in Week 9. Kraft is out for the season, and Musgrave becomes the next man up. Musgrave is also not a nobody; he was actually drafted ahead of Kraft in the 2023 NFL draft. Musgrave was the starter for most of his rookie season until an injury opened the door for Kraft. For a team looking for a replacement at the tight end spot after Kraft's injury, Musgrave is a likely candidate and worth the pick-up. However, fantasy managers should temper their expectations, as Jayden Reed (collarbone, foot) is set to return soon, and the Packers' pass-catchers still include Christian Watson, Romeo Doubs, Matthew Golden, and now Musgrave. The point being, there are a lot of mouths to feed, and what made Kraft so special was his ability to create yards after catch (15.3 yards per reception). Moving forward, fantasy managers should view Musgrave as a touchdown-dependent TE2.