Week 15 Fantasy Football TE Start Decisions: Zach Ertz, Jake Ferguson, Pat Freiermuth, Hunter Henry and Jonnu Smith

Zach Ertz is showing up a lot on our FantasySP “Who Should I Start?” tool. That means fantasy owners are comparing Ertz to different players when trying to determine who to start in the first week of the fantasy playoffs (for most leagues).

That makes Ertz a good player to compare to other tight ends on the start/sit line who might be worthy of a spot in your lineup this week. Let’s run through some of those guys, starting with Ertz himself, and determine the better play given each pairing.

I used a lot of stats from NFL.com and our FantasySP defensive fantasy rankings, and I will reference those numbers often. The full fantasy rankings for each player mentioned is listed at the bottom.

Zach Ertz, Washington Commanders @ New Orleans Saints

Ertz is having his best season since 2021. It seemed like he was totally cooked, and his contract with Washington was something like a former star trying to hold on one season too long. Instead, he’s averaging four receptions and 38.5 yards per game and has scored four touchdowns, a number he has topped only four times in his career.

That’s far from elite production, and it’s noticeably below Ertz’s prime numbers, but it’s middling tight end work, which is much better than what was expected by many entering the season. The matchup this week is very middling as well.

The Saints have given up the 13th-most yards per pass attempt and 19th-most fantasy points per game to tight ends. Calling New Orleans middling is an apt statement, as they have a 5-8 record with a point differential of -2. Because of the state of the division, they are only two games back in the division race, holding very slight playoff odds.

Ertz is a fine option in Week 15. He shouldn’t be started over anyone with a high ceiling or great matchup, but Ertz can slot into your lineup and offer decent value at the most important fantasy time. I said the word “middling” a lot, and that’s a good way to think of this situation. (Sure enough, he's ranked third out of the five players mentioned below.)

Jake Ferguson, Dallas Cowboys @ Carolina Panthers

The Panthers are a fun team for tight ends to face: Carolina has given up the ninth-most yards per pass attempt and fifth-most fantasy points per game to tight ends. Their defense is bad overall (they also allow the second-most yards per rush attempt), so scoring opportunities are often plentiful for opposing offenses.

Ferguson missed most of Week 11 then all of Weeks 12 and 13 with a concussion before returning last week against the Bengals. We can expect Ferguson to play his normal role, so the question is what he can do without his top quarterback, Dak Prescott.

Backup Cooper Rush and Ferguson have played two full games together, with the tight end catching four passes for 24 yards against the tough Eagles in Week 10 before a three-catch, 32-yard effort in his return last week. Ferguson is a low- to mid-level fantasy guy right now.

The matchup makes him a player to start in fantasy football if you don’t have a weekly starter at TE. I like Ferguson over Ertz this week because of the matchup.

Fantasy Advice: Start Jake Ferguson over Zach Ertz

Pat Freiermuth, Pittsburgh Steelers @ Philadelphia Eagles

Speaking of those Eagles, this is my top tight end to avoid in Week 15. Philadelphia has allowed the least yards per pass attempt and ninth-least fantasy points per game to TEs. No player at his position is a great fantasy option against Philly.

Freiermuth is fine, but he ebbs and flows with the matchup. There’s not a lot else to say; you can find a better option.

Fantasy Advice: Start Zach Ertz over Pat Freiermuth and don’t look back

Hunter Henry, New England Patriots @ Arizona Cardinals

The Cardinals have given up the ninth-most yards per pass attempt but the eight-least fantasy points to tight ends. They’re more average against wide receivers and among the top 10 in most passing yards allowed to running backs; those positions do the pass-catching damage.

That starts Henry behind the mark before we even get to his own performance. He’s averaging about 4.5 catches and 47 yards per game, good numbers at the hardest fantasy position at which to find consistent production.

He’s just TE15 in standard scoring and TE11 in PPR because he has scored only one touchdown, but Henry is on the fantasy radar most weeks contingent on his matchup. Henry has topped 40 yards in eight of 13 games but has been under 20 yards in four others.

With Arizona tougher on tight ends, Henry is a bit riskier of a play this week. He will probably be fine and settle in somewhere between TE10-TE20, but he doesn’t have quite as good of an outlook as Ertz, so I’ll slightly favor the latter.

Fantasy Advice: Start Zach Ertz over Hunter Henry, but it’s fairly close

Jonnu Smith, Miami Dolphins @ Houston Texans

Smith was my pick at tight end for the fantasy star likely to struggle in Week 15. I wrote this in that linked article:

“You might be saying that Smith isn’t a fantasy star, but consider: After a slow first month of the season, Smith is TE3 in both standard and PPR scoring from Weeks 5-14. He has already set career highs in targets, receptions, and receiving yards, and he has five touchdowns (versus his career high of eight).”

Smith has become a legit weekly fantasy starter in 2024. Many owners won’t bench Smith due to his play on the season, and I completely understand that stance. Again, this position is the toughest at which to find consistent fantasy production among the offensive players.

Houston has good numbers over the season, though, having allowed the fifth-least yards per pass attempt and fourth-least fantasy points per game to tight ends. In an earlier look at Smith’s quarterback, Tua Tagovailoa, I wrote that Houston had struggled mightily against the pass in the month leading up to their Week 14 bye. That extended to the tight ends:

• Week 10 vs Lions: Sam LaPorta – 3 catches, 66 yards, 1 TD
• Week 11 @ Cowboys: Luke Schoonmaker – 6 catches, 56 yards (Jake Ferguson had 1 catch and 11 yards before leaving with a concussion early in the game)
• Week 12 vs Titans: Chig Okonkwo – 1 catch, 70 yards, 1 TD
• Week 13 @ Jacksonville: Evan Engram – 7 catches, 41 yards

The Okonkwo touchdown was a fluke on a scramble play, but tight ends otherwise regularly put up numbers against the Texans during this stretch. The week off gave them a chance to regroup, and they are fairly healthy on defense (and minus suspended linebacker Azeez Al-Shaair).

Smith’s recent play along with Houston’s recent struggles mean he has a high ceiling, though. The upside is enough to make him a better option than Ertz this week.

Fantasy Advice: Start Jonnu Smith over Zach Ertz

Full Player Rankings

1. Jonnu Smith, MIA
2. Jake Ferguson, DAL
3. Zach Ertz, WAS
4. Hunter Henry, NE
5. Pat Freiermuth, PIT