Washington Commanders TE Zach Ertz Undervalued in Fantasy Football Rankings

With all 32 teams opening up training camp last week, the start of the 2025 NFL season is officially underway, with each and every franchise locked in and focused on being the last team standing and doing what it takes to be the ones that are hoisting the Lombardi Trophy in February.

For the Washington Commanders, coming up just short of a Super Bowl appearance in 2024 means that they enter this fall hungry to get over the hump.

But in order for the Commanders to achieve their goals, they will need everyone to step up and contribute--from the rookies all the way to the seasoned veterans. That includes former Stanford tight end, Zach Ertz, who is entering his second season in Washington.

While Ertz and company lock in for what should be another competitive campaign, fantasy football rankings have started to roll out, with ESPN releasing its tight end rankings for PPR (points per reception) leagues.

Entering the new season, Ertz is ranked as the No. 22 tight end in PPR leagues, with many sites including Matthew Berry's Fantasy Life among others, projecting him to be a low-end TE1 option.

Ertz, who played a big role in Washington's passing attack last season where he caught 66 passes for 654 yards and seven touchdowns, figures to continue in his leadership role this year but faces a lot more competition for targets in 2025--especially when you factor in Washington's trade for wide receiver Deebo Samuel.

Turning 35-years-old in November, Ertz iz also the type of player who could be in the final seasons of his career. Once a top tight end in fantasy football, breaking the single season record for catches by a tight end in 2018 (116) while recording well over 1,000 yards, Ertz has dealt with injuries and the effects of getting older over the past few seasons, and could be used more as a blocking tight end this year.

But if there is one thing about this Commanders team that we have learned, it's that quarterback Jayden Daniels loves Ertz and views him as an integral part of the offense. Those new weapons on offense could also help the Commanders move the ball more effectively, and set up Ertz in the red zone more often in 2025-26.

Helping Daniels develop into the Offensive Rookie of the Year, Ertz provided him with another weapon. Even though the Commanders made sure to add more pass catching options for 2025, it would not surprising if Ertz is still used heavily as a receiver, as long as he is able to stay healthy.

Ertz's No. 22 ranking is a far cry from past seasons where he was ranked considerably higher, but it makes sense when you factor in his age and who else was ranked higher than him. Making up ESPN's top five tight ends for the season are Brock Bowers, Trey McBride, George Kittle, Sam LaPorta and TJ Hockenson.

Bowers, a rookie last season, set the record for most receptions and yards by a rookie tight end last season with the Las Vegas Raiders and is viewed as the league's top tight end. McBride and Kittle both continued their dominance en route to Pro Bowl honors last season and enter this season as big pieces to their respective team's offenses.

Ertz may not be in contention with the top tight ends at this stage in his career, but he's proven year after year that he has the tools to be effective in this league, and he could very well be a solid TE1 when the season is over.