Darnell Washington vs Jake Ferguson: Who Should You Start?
Darnell Washington and Jake Ferguson are both viable fantasy tight ends heading into 2026, but their 2025 production tells two different stories. Darnell Washington averaged 3.6 PPG across 16 games with the Pittsburgh Steelers, while Jake Ferguson posted 8.7 PPG in 17 appearances for the Dallas Cowboys.
A 5.1-PPG gap gives Jake Ferguson the edge on paper, but paper does not account for Thursday night matchups, weather games, or a star defender returning from injury. The real question is not who was better in 2025, but who is the better start this specific week.
Jake Ferguson is the volume tight end in this matchup with 82 receptions for 600 yards, while Darnell Washington profiles as a more touchdown-dependent spike play (1 scores on 31 catches). In weeks where Darnell Washington finds the end zone he out-scores Jake Ferguson, but the floor gap is real.
One scheduling note: Darnell Washington is off Week 9 and Jake Ferguson Week 7. If these two are on your roster, you will need a fill-in tight end for both weeks. DraftCall flags bye conflicts so you can plan ahead rather than panic on waivers.
