Zach

Ertz

Ertz’s massive day came after he never caught more than seven balls during the regular season. Playing on a bargain, one-year contract after spending the past 2.5 seasons in Arizona, 34-year-old Ertz caught 66 passes, his most since 2021. Of course, he turned them into just 654 yards, bringing him under 10.0 per pop. Even for a tight end, that’s a bit of a problem, if hardly unprecedented for a catch-and-fall artist. That’s what Ertz is at this stage of his career, though there is still value in that. Someone has to move the chains. With the Commanders low on proven pass catchers, Ertz could be back on another one-year deal for 2025.

Ertz was given Wednesday’s practice off but returned for a full session on Thursday. He is good to go as the Commanders look to pull off the upset against Philly. Ertz is heavily involved in the Commanders’ passing attack and will need to step up in the short and intermediate areas of the field this week. He is a solid DFS option for the final main slate of the year.

Ertz is dealing with a rib injury, but Wednesday’s DNP was to allow him to rest said injury — as was the case last week. The veteran tight end isn’t at risk of missing Sunday’s NFC Championship Game against the Eagles and will have some upside as a DFS value against his former team.

Ertz played through the rib issue last week after receiving a light workout in practice. He will do so again this time around. The veteran tight end caught all five of his targets and scored in Washington’s upset over the Lions and will be heavily involved in the team’s passing attack on Sunday. He remains in the DFS mix as a value play at tight end for the final main slate of the season.

Ertz also scooped up an onside kick attempt from the Lions, just about closing the door on Detroit. The veteran wideout left the game early for a concussion check but returned after being cleared by the independent evaluator. Ertz scored his eighth touchdown of the year on a short end zone strike from Jayden Daniels just before the end of the first half. While his yardage ceiling isn’t elite, Ertz has no issues stacking up PPR points and the more than occasional touchdown. He will be in the DFS mix for the Conference Championship Round slate.

Jayden Daniels will have his trusty tight end available to him this weekend. Ertz practiced in full on Friday and can be trusted to handle his typical possession receiver role. The 34-year-old tight end has a chance to face his former Eagles team in the NFC Championship if the Commanders can pull off the upset and the Eagles successfully fend off the Rams.

Ertz was held out of Tuesday’s session. A limited practice puts him on track to play on Saturday, though tomorrow’s injury report will be more telling. If Ertz can’t go, John Bates and Ben Sinnott will both see an uptick in snaps versus the Lions. Assuming he plays, Ertz, who has operated as the Commanders’ No. 2 pass-catcher for most of the year, will be a strong fantasy option in the Divisional Round slate.

It was a quiet day for Ertz, who struggled to get separation from Bucs’ linebackers Lavonte David and Deion Jones. Ertz was targeted in the end zone once in the fourth quarter, but David read the route and broke up the pass in the end zone. The Commanders will need more from the 34-year-old tight end next week against the Lions.

Ertz continued his vintage throwback season with his third touchdown over the last two weeks. He caught Marcus Mariota’s first touchdown in the third quarter, making a five-yard grab in the end zone. Ertz had a productive fantasy season, totaling over 600 receiving yards for the first time since 2021. He is a top-three receiving option for the Commanders heading into Wild Card Weekend.

Ertz’s first score came in the third quarter to bring the team within three points while his second walked the game off in overtime to lock up the team’s first playoff berth since they made the postseason in 2020 with a losing record by winning the division. He also made a ridiculous catch in the fourth quarter to extend what would be a touchdown drive by pinning the ball between his legs. The veteran tight end is unlikely to see immense weekly volume but has enough of a connection with quarterback Jayden Daniels to see sporadic spike weeks such as this one. It is unclear whether Ertz will suit up in Week 18 against the Cowboys considering his veteran status and the fact the team locked up a playoff spot this week.