June 10, 2025

Zach Ertz found a new lease on fantasy life in 2024 as the top tight end of the Washington Commanders. After being a non-factor in 2022 and 2023 with the Arizona Cardinals, not much was expected from Ertz when he signed with the Commanders. If anything, he was looked upon to be a mentor to 2024 draft choice Ben Sinnott. Instead, Ertz was the second-best option in Washington's passing attack behind top target Terry McLaurin, and his fantasy value was bolstered by the emergence of franchise quarterback Jayden Daniels. Ertz posted a 66-654-7 line that made him a top-10 fantasy tight end again. Heading into 2025, Ertz is Daniels' TE1 and should be one of his favorite targets again, although the addition of Deebo Samuel upgrades the Commanders' WR2 spot and could result in less targets and touchdown chances for Ertz. Samuel is one of the most injury-prone receivers in the NFL, though, so his impact on Ertz's fantasy value might be more minimal than you would think. While you could suggest Ertz's numbers will go down due to Samuel and the fact that he is a year older, you could also say Ertz's numbers will go up because Daniels should be even better in his second season. Look for Ertz to come close to duplicating his 2024 stats in 2025, which would make him a low TE1 or a high TE2 for fantasy football this year.--Craig Rondinone - RotoBaller