While breaking down a roster that paired Zach Ertz with Chigoziem Okonkwo and Tyler Higbee, Liam Murphy said he could "definitely see that working," signaling his comfort relying on Ertz as the veteran anchor of a cheap three-tight-end room. Murphy likes the construction because Ertz’s long-standing chemistry with new play-caller Kliff Kingsbury (the two overlapped in Arizona) should translate into immediate route volume for the Commanders, giving drafters an early-season floor while they wait for spike weeks from the more volatile Okonkwo and Higbee. He views Ertz’s double-digit ADP discount as a free pass to prioritize wide receivers in the middle rounds, then circle back for cumulative tight-end production without spending premium capital.

Cody Woodman called Zach Ertz a "smash pick" in the final rounds, arguing that Jayden Daniels will lean on the veteran the same way he did late last year at Arizona. Washington added almost no target competition after Terry McLaurin and Jahan Dotson, and Ertz averaged a 24% first-read share in his three healthy games with the Cardinals. Cody noted that Daniels posted a league-high 29% usage rate on throws 0–10 yards in college, a profile that dovetails with Ertz’s aDOT. With Ben Sinnott profiling more as an H-back and Logan Thomas gone, Cody projects 80–85 targets and ranks Ertz as the TE18 while he’s being drafted outside the top-28 tight ends in BBM6.

Pat Fantasy Dog Pound called Zach Ertz “criminally under-drafted” after the veteran slipped to the very back of the tight-end-two range. Pat noted Washington added virtually nothing else at the position—only rookie Ben Sinnott profiles as real competition—and new OC Kliff Kingsbury historically targets tight ends on stick and option routes (Ertz averaged 7.8 targets per game in Kingsbury’s 2021 Arizona offense). Because Jayden Daniels routinely peppers underneath targets, Pat projects a 17–18% target share for Ertz whenever he is healthy, easily enough to turn in low-end TE1 weeks in half-point formats. He believes Ertz’s combination of route volume, shallow aDOT efficiency, and zero depth-chart threat makes him a perfect last-round safety valve for drafters who punted the position.

Tyler Knaeble highlighted Zach Ertz as a screaming late-round value, noting that in Underdog’s Marathon contest the veteran consistently goes around pick 150—roughly a 10-spot premium to his price in regular Best Ball Mania drafts. Knaeble argued the Marathon ADP is a truer reflection of Ertz’s worth once drafters shed age bias and focus on role: Kliff Kingsbury’s offenses have historically peppered tight ends (23% target share in Arizona from 2019-22), and Washington lacks a proven red-zone weapon behind Terry McLaurin. Ertz averaged 7.9 targets per game before his 2022 knee injury and showed he can still separate in limited 2023 snaps with Arizona. At a cost cheaper than rookies who may not see the field, Knaeble is comfortable locking Ertz in as TE2 on hyper-fragile builds or pairing him with a rookie like Brock Bowers to secure early-season floor.