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Should I start George Kittle, Zach Ertz, Juwan Johnson for Week 8? Fantasy football start 'em, sit 'em picks and recommendations for the 2025 NFL season.
The tight end position is often a wasteland year after year in fantasy. And with six teams on bye this week, it creates an even messier situation for fantasy managers to navigate. But Sunday is National Tight Ends Day, so we will keep things positive for the most part for their special day.
In this article, we will take a look at the Week 8 outlooks of three tight ends: George Kittle, Zach Ertz, and Juwan Johnson. Each falls into different tiers and has arguments both for and against being in starting lineups.
So, should fantasy managers start Kittle, Ertz, and Johnson in Week 8? Let's dive in.
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Should I Start George Kittle for Fantasy Football?
Kittle pulled the rug on fantasy managers waiting to put him back into their lineups in Week 7, recording no catches on just two targets against the Falcons. Kittle missed five games in total with a hamstring injury, but positively wasn't limited in his first game back, playing 80.6% of the offensive snaps.
😂😂
(via @49ers) pic.twitter.com/7wORROlOYe
— FOX Sports: NFL (@NFLonFOX) October 20, 2025
The 49ers have been gutted by injury all over the roster, including at wide receiver. Ricky Pearsall (knee) is set to miss his fourth consecutive game, Jauan Jennings has battled through multiple injuries to his ankle and ribs, and Brandon Aiyuk (knee) is still on the PUP list. Christian McCaffrey has carried an unbelievably heavy load for this San Francisco offense, both as a runner and a receiver.
Fantasy managers with Kittle are highly unlikely to have a better option to start at tight end, especially during a week like this with six teams on bye. Kittle should rebound in Week 8, although it's a difficult matchup against a Houston defense that has allowed the fifth-fewest PPR points per game to opposing tight ends. The 32-year-old is ranked as RotoBaller's TE6 for National Tight Ends Day and should be in all lineups.
Should I Start Zach Ertz for Fantasy Football?
Ertz has been his usual touchdown-scoring machine this season, scoring in back-to-back games and has four total on the season. After seeing only one target and being held catchless for the first time in a game in over a decade in Week 5 against the Chargers, the 34-year-old has earned 13 targets in his last two games, catching nine of them for 80 yards.
Washington's offense will be getting two crucial pieces back for Monday Night Football in Terry McLaurin and Deebo Samuel Sr, but losing another with Jayden Daniels (hamstring) out. The return of McLaurin, especially, could be significant for the entire offense, as they've been severely lacking a wide receiver who can consistently beat man coverage. His field-stretching ability will open up some more opportunities for Ertz to rack up volume underneath.
Put the 6 in 86 😮💨
📺 #WASvsDAL FOX pic.twitter.com/BKJkpEShER
— Washington Commanders (@Commanders) October 19, 2025
It isn't the best matchup for Ertz, with the Kansas City Chiefs allowing the fourth-fewest PPR points per game to opposing tight ends. And in two games with Marcus Mariota this season, Ertz has only five catches for 59 yards on seven targets. But Washington is an 11.5-point underdog, which means they could be playing from behind and throwing for most of the game. Ertz is ranked as RotoBaller's TE13 for Week 8, and he's always a threat to score, but the returns of Samuel and McLaurin could also limit his target volume. If you have a similar alternative, it may be best to leave Ertz on the bench for Monday night.
Should I Start Juwan Johnson for Fantasy Football?
Johnson was looking like one of the late-round gems at tight end in the early part of the season. Over the first three weeks, he was the TE2 in PPR points and had the second-most targets in the league (28). He led all tight ends in routes run (102) and dominated volume in the short area of the field, with a low 6.1 aDOT.
Unfortunately, the production did not sustain over the next four weeks, and Johnson is back in the TE2 ranks for most weeks. He is, however, coming off his best game since that early-season stretch in Week 7 against the Bears, catching five of seven targets for 79 yards, his highest total of the year. So perhaps Johnson is ready to go on another three-game heater.
Juwan Johnson snags it for a @Saints TD!
SFvsNO on FOX/FOX Onehttps://t.co/HkKw7uXVnt pic.twitter.com/Q52t7zCdXk
— NFL (@NFL) September 14, 2025
It's a neutral matchup in terms of fantasy points allowed for Johnson in Week 8, with Tampa Bay ranking middle of the pack in PPR points allowed per game to opposing tight ends. However, the 29-year-old faced Tampa Bay in Week 18 last season when he started to showcase his ability as a receiver in a full-time role, and caught six of seven targets for 80 yards, which was his second-highest total of his career. The most yards in a game for his career also came against Tampa Bay back in Week 17 of the 2023 season, where he caught eight of 12 targets for 90 yards.
There is matchup familiarity here, with a divisional matchup and a team against which he has had consistent success. Johnson is ranked as RotoBaller's TE21 for Week 8, but there is some upside here based on the matchup that gives him plenty of value as a starter in a heavy week for byes.
Who Should I Start Tool
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Who Should I Start? Who Should I Sit? Some common Week 8 fantasy football lineup decisions are regarding players like George Kittle, Zach Ertz, Juwan Johnson. But not to worry, we are here to help make these decisions and build winning lineups in Week 8. Set your optimal fantasy football lineups for Week 8 of the 2025 NFL season. Our free Who Should I Start? tool will help make your fantasy football lineup decisions. Compare up to four NFL players, and we tell you who to start... all free! Get your winning lineups set, and make the right decisions.
Week 8 Player Decisions. Today's focus is on specific players - George Kittle, Zach Ertz, Juwan Johnson. These are some of the most common searches for fantasy football lineups in Week 8.
Using The Tool. This is a simple tool, but very powerful. The first step is to enter the player names that you want to compare. In the first box, search for the first player's name. In the second box, search for the second player's name. Compare up to four NFL players at once, and then click the Who To Start? button to see who the recommended starts are based on weekly fantasy football matchups.
Improvements For Who Should I Start? You may have noticed that our Who Should I Start? tool has gotten an overhaul. We've added lots of great features for you to give you as much information as possible to win your fantasy football matchups each week. You'll see NFL player tiles with headshots and bye weeks, enhanced search results with data to compare, and a slick new interface. We hope you enjoy!
How It Works. Each week, our RotoBaller staff puts together their weekly fantasy football rankings and projections based on their research. That information is the core data that is powering the decision-making in this tool. When you search for player names, you will only see those players who are ranked. If someone is out for the week, they will not appear in the search results.
Scoring Formats. Fantasy football managers play in various types of leagues, and this tool allows you to choose whether it's PPR scoring, Half-PPR scoring, or Standard (Non-PPR) scoring. The second thing you want to do is to select the scoring format. There are three small radio buttons (small circles), so click on the scoring format you prefer. The results may vary based on the scoring format you select.
Popular Week 8 Searches. Curious to see some tough lineup decisions for Week 8 (2025)? Below you will find a list of some popular Who Should I Start? searches that RotoBaller readers are looking at this week. Click any of the links to see the result and recommendation.
Popular Week 8 Searches - Start/Sit Player Comparisons
Below are some popular Week 8 searches and comparisons from our 'Who To Start' tool for George Kittle, Zach Ertz, Juwan Johnson compared to others:
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