Dennis Wierzbicki-USA TODAY Sports
Tight end has become a very deep position in fantasy football, with the evolution of what can be called a “traditional” player at the position and the expansion of pass offenses around the league. Two popular breakout candidates for this year are Ladarius Green of the San Diego Chargers and Zach Ertz of the Philadelphia Eagles. In this edition of “Fantasy Face-Off”, I’ll make a case for both guys and then decide which young tight end I’d rather have.
The Case For Ladarius Green
Green only had 17 receptions last season, but he averaged 22.1 yards per catch with nine receptions for 206 yards and two touchdowns over a three-game stretch from Week 11-Week 13.
Other than Keenan Allen the Chargers don’t have many great options at wide receiver, and fellow tight end Antonio Gates is 34 years old. All signs point to Green having a much bigger role in the passing game this year, and his fairly prominent role as a blocker last year should be reduced some.
The Case For Zach Ertz
Ertz was clearly Philadelphia’s No. 2 tight end in 2013, playing just 41 percent of the team’s offensive snaps. But he produced solidly late in the season, with 22 receptions for 268 yards and four touchdowns over the final eight regular season games and he followed that up with a touchdown in the Eagles’ playoff loss to the New Orleans Saints.
Ertz had just five red zone targets in 2013, and converted three of them for touchdowns. The virtual certainty he has an expanded role this year surely will expand to the red zone, since Ertz has the size (6’5″) to be a highly effective option for Nick Foles.
Foles recently compared Ertz to Rob Gronkowski, who he played with in college. That is obviously significant praise, but it does point to Ertz’s upside and it’s worth noting that the measurables of the two tight ends are similar.
Final Analysis
The presence of Gates puts a ceiling on Green’s fantasy potential this year, particularly in terms of vulturing red zone targets and week-to-week consistency. Brent Celek should still have a fairly prominent role for Philadelphia this year, but it would be surprising to see him take away much from Ertz in terms of targets.
If you’re in a dynasty league and Green or Ertz is available, this looks like the year to get them at a relative value. But this decision is based on who I think is better for 2014 alone. Since he has a much clearer path to a consistent role, and production worthy of a weekly TE1, Ertz is my choice here.
Brad Berreman is a Senior Writer at Rant Sports.com. Follow him on Twitter or connect on Google +.
