Who Should I Start? Zach Ertz or Theo Johnson

Monday, October 20, 11:59 AM

Washington Commanders tight end Zach Ertz reeled in 3-of-7 targets for 36 yards and a touchdown in his team's 44-22 loss to the Dallas Cowboys on Sunday. The Commanders' offense couldn't get much going against Dallas, and that was true before and after second-year quarterback Jayden Daniels (hamstring) was forced from the game with an injury. Ertz encouragingly led the team in targets and corralled his fourth TD of the campaign, putting him on pace to surpass his figure from a season ago (seven). However, his production will take a hit moving forward if Daniels is again forced to miss time. The 34-year-old could be on the streaming radar in Week 9 when his team squares off with the Kansas City Chiefs. Although, that would largely depend on the status of wide receivers Terry McLaurin (quad) and Deebo Samuel Sr. (heel). The duo's practice status should be monitored over the week ahead, as should the result of Daniels' MRI.

Monday, October 20, 12:29 AM

New York Giants tight end Theo Johnson caught three of his seven targets for 66 yards and a touchdown during Sunday's Week 7 loss against the Los Angeles Chargers. The highlight of his performance was a 41-yard touchdown in which Johnson caught the pass that had deflected off one of his teammates. The 24-year-old has been quite productive since the Giants lost Malik Nabers (knee), posting 14 catches, 143 yards, and four touchdowns over his last four games. During that four-week window, he's the overall TE5 in PPR leagues. Interestingly, he has shown that he can co-exist alongside Daniel Bellinger, as the two tight ends have combined for at least seven catches in two of the Giants' last three games. With that being said, Johnson, whose fantasy value has become touchdown-dependent, remains the preferred option in the passing game over Bellinger. He's a mid-to-high TE2 heading into Week 8 against Philadelphia.