Zach Ertz and Darren Waller Among Week 14 Waiver Wire Tight End Pickups
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Week 13 was a good one for tight ends. Yes, there were 15 receivers from the position topped double digits in PPR formats. Three broke the 20 point barrier including Zach Ertz from the Washington Commanders. If anyone saw that coming, I want your lottery numbers!
Tight Ends still can be a frustrating experience and four teams are back on a bye one more time in Week 14. Hey, Ertz could be another viable option against a Minnesota team that cannot move the ball offensively. The schedule allows for some unexpected roster chances. Humbly, we apologize for Juwan Johnson but he did have nine targets at least.
Let us attempt to make a little sense of the tight end waiver wire.
Roster percentages come from Yahoo and ESPN leagues reflecting a PPR format. Check your league formats.
Zach Ertz - Washington Commanders
Naturally, Ertz went out last week and caught ten passes for 106 yards against the Denver Broncos. Often, it has been said that Denver plays down to inferior teams (see TNF game against Las Vegas). Ertz has proven an excellent safety net in Washington's offense which keeps going back and forth between Marcus Mariota and Jayden Daniels. As a result, Ertz accomplished this last week.
Zach Ertz passes HOF Shannon Sharpe for 5th-most receptions by a TE in NFL history 😎@Commanders | #RaiseHail pic.twitter.com/WnWyDYw6ci
— NFL+ (@NFLPlus) December 1, 2025
Both Washington and Minnesota have defenses less than ideal. However, Minnesota is further compromised by their quarterback situation. That places undeniable pressure on the defense and las week they did play admirably. However, it could break apart this week as Washington has some weapons on offense including Ertz.
Ertz has seen 4+ targets in each of the past seven weeks. The expectation is for the targets to continue.
Darren Waller - Miami Dolphins
Thankfully, it appears it will be only cold at MetLife Stadium this Sunday as the Miami Dolphins and New York Jets face off. The last time these two teams met, New York could not account for Waller (19.8% owned on ESPN) in the red zone. He scored twice and that helped Miami win 27-21.
The tight end came back from injury and caught two passes for 47 yards last week. His value may be more suited for the red zone but he could get more than three targets in Week 14. There is little worry about Miami mistakes as the Jets are the only NFL team to still not have an interception.
Miami has been a different team since Halloween. Waller adds a solid dynamic and can get open a little bit down the field. The Jets' middle has been a little soft this season and after the trade deadline has been even more so. Atlanta and New England had success in this zone in two of the previous three weeks.
Isaiah Likely - Baltimore Ravens
The risk is immense here. However, so could be the reward for Isaiah Likely. The tight end nearly topped 100 yards last week and faces a Steelers defense that is 28th in passing yards allowed. Pittsburgh got gauged for 249 rushing yards last week. Baltimore will run early to set up the pass later. That means opportunities for Likely to get down the field.
His ADOT is up to 8.6 on the season and it is no secret Pittsburgh's linebackers have a hard time covering agile tight ends. If Dalton Kincaid had been in the lineup for Buffalo, Josh Allen would have used him early and often. Lamar Jackson will need to rely on Likely and Mark Andrews this week as Pittsburgh will try to crank up the pressure in this intense AFC North rivalry game.
Lamar Jackson rushing hasn't been the same since returning from injury, but his Week 13 did include:
— Ian Hartitz (@Ihartitz) December 1, 2025
-Isaiah Likely fumbles away a 44-yard TD
-Zay Flowers iffy OPI on 36-yard TD
-Two near-miss potential chunk gains to DeVontez Walker pic.twitter.com/DLtZh5MRrM
Likely learned his lesson from the goal-line fumble and again Jackson trusts him going into the intermediate areas. That is enough for most to forgive for that transgression last week.
