Zach Ertz or David Njoku: Who should I start for Fantasy Football Week 7

Zach Ertz and David Njoku are two intriguing options for fantasy football managers going into Week 7 of the 2024 NFL season. Both are talented tight ends but are playing for teams trending in different directions.

The Commanders were not supposed to be this good this early. However, Jayden Daniels has been a revelation and the entire offense is basking in its glory. They are 4-2 after six weeks and have won three of their last four games. The sole loss in that sequence came in the previous week against the Baltimore Ravens, who provided a reality check of how ready this team is to take on the big hitters in the league.

Zach Ertz and Washington are sitting pretty, though, atop the NFC East and are suddenly looking like favorites for a division that they were at the bottom of in 2023. The Eagles and Cowboys are inconsistent, and the Giants have not improved noticeably from the past year, which makes it the Commanders to lose.

On the other hand, the Browns are struggling mightily in their endeavors this season. Before the matches kicked off, they were thought to be dark horses for the playoffs. Their defense, helmed by Myles Garrett, was elite last year. They also featured in the postseason in 2023 and were expected to make the step up.

Instead, they have been the opposite of the Commanders in that they are defying expectations by failing to live up to them. They are 1-5 for the season and nestled at the basement of the AFC North. The entire offense, from Deshaun Watson to David Njoku, has not created enough.

Is Zach Ertz a good pick in Week 7?

Zach Ertz has featured in all six games for the Commanders this season and has 21 catches to show for it. In total, he has 228 yards at an average of 10.9 yards per reception, which shows that he has been highly effective when the ball has reached him. Overall, though, he is averaging 38 yards per game and has yet to score a touchdown in 2024.

His game last week against the Ravens, which Washington lost, was his best performance of the year. He had 68 yards in the match in 4 receptions, which equates to 17 yards per catch. His longest play was for 24 yards, which is also the highest mark for him this season. Fantasy football managers might assume that this signals the start of a productive run of form for Zach Ertz.

Is David Njoku a good pick in Week 7?

David Njoku has had a stop-start season. After the season opener against the Cowboys, he did not feature again in September. He had 44 yards in four receptions that game. After returning, he had a single reception against Washington which accounted for 14 yards. Last week against the Eagles, he had 31 yards in five catches.

Overall, he has 89 yards in three games this season, just shy of 30 yards per match. His average is 8.9 yards per reception. Like his Commanders counterpart, he is yet to score a touchdown this season. Hence, fantasy football owners might not know whether to start David Njoku.

Whom should I start between Zach Ertz and David Njoku in Week 7?

Fantasy football managers can use Sportskeeda's Start/Sit Optimizer tool to make the decision for them.

Zach Ertz vs David Njoku - NFL Fantasy Football - Start 'Em Sit 'Em - Week 7 - 2024 NFL Season - Sportskeeda Optimizer Tool Results

It says to start David Njoku over Zach Ertz in Week 7. They are expected to have a similar reception count but the Browns tight end is expected to gain more yards and has a higher chance of a touchdown.

This result probably comes down to two considerations, the first being who is playing quarterback with them. Deshaun Watson is currently struggling and might throw for short gains whereas Jayden Daniels looks comfortable throwing deep balls and scrambling for shorter plays.

However, the major reason the Cleveland player is expected to do better is because Amari Cooper was traded away to the Buffalo Bills this week by the Browns. That necessarily means that he will be expected to gain more offensively and should be accordingly schemed in.