Who Should I Start? Zach Ertz or Noah Gray

Tuesday, September 16, 10:42 AM

Washington Commanders tight end Zach Ertz has been on a scoring tear, finding the end zone eight times in his last nine regular-season games while averaging over 11 half-PPR fantasy points per contest. The veteran has been a steady safety blanket for young quarterback Jayden Daniels, running a route on over 80% of dropbacks in each of the first two weeks. However, Daniels is questionable for Week 3 with a knee injury, and his absence could cap Ertz's upside. Still, Ertz remains a strong waiver-wire target for tight-end-needy teams, with the caveat that his value is tied closely to Daniels being under center.

Friday, August 8, 10:40 AM

Kansas City Chiefs tight end Noah Gray has looked very strong in training camp and is receiving strong buzz from reports. Albert Breer of Sports Illustrated noted that the tight end looks like a "high-end" starter. Throughout his four-year career in Kansas City, Gray has typically taken the backseat to future Hall of Famer Travis Kelce. However, after catching just 28 passes in both 2022 and 2023, Gray was able to enjoy a mini-breakout season in 2024. Last fall, Gray caught a career-best 40 passes for 437 yards and five touchdowns. He enjoyed productive stretch from Weeks 10 through 15 when he averaged a solid 10.2 PPR points per game. Fantasy managers should keep an eye on his progression early in the season as he could continue to carve out a role behind Kelce. However, for now, Kelce remains the clear TE1 in Kansas City. Gray is best viewed as a high-upside TE3 in deeper formats.