Who Should I Start? Zach Ertz or Robert Tonyan Jr.

Sunday, March 9, 7:04 AM

Veteran tight end Zach Ertz signed a one-year, $6.25 million contract with the Washington Commanders on Saturday. The deal includes up to $9 million in incentives. Ertz returns to the Commanders after a productive season in 2024 as quarterback Jayden Daniels' safety valve, owning 18% of Washington's target share. The three-time Pro Bowler caught 66 of 91 targets for 674 yards and seven touchdowns over 17 games. It was the first time since 2018 that Ertz played an entire season. With the emergence of Dyami Brown in the postseason and the Commanders trading for wide receiver Deebo Samuel Sr. in March, Ertz will have more competition for targets in 2025. Despite competing for targets with Terry McLaurin, Samuel, and Brown, Ertz remains a decent fantasy option at the tight end position. As Daniels' primary middle-of-the-field option, Ertz is a high-end TE2 heading into early best-ball drafts.

Tuesday, August 27, 5:57 PM

The Minnesota Vikings released tight end Robert Tonyan on Tuesday. The Vikings have plenty of tight end depth, with superstar T.J. Hockenson (knee) on the PUP list and Josh Oliver, one of the best backups in the NFL. The 29-year-old spent the first five seasons of his career with the Green Bay Packers before playing with the Chicago Bears in 2023. In 2020 he had by far the best season of his career, with 586 receiving yards and 11 touchdowns. Tonyan, who has only ever played for NFC North teams, has put together a couple of productive seasons and shown that he has plenty of talent. Tonyan will look to latch onto another team but is off the fantasy radar for now in 2024.