Should I Start Gerald Everett or Jake Ferguson? Fantasy Football Outlook

Week 1 of the 2023 regular season is finally upon us. The opening week brings challenging start-or-sit decisions, especially at the tight end position with Travis Kelce and Mark Andrews out of action.

Los Angeles Chargers tight end Gerald Everett and Dallas Cowboys tight end Jake Ferguson are on the fantasy radar and are likely to be key streaming considerations in Week 1. Both are in high-powered offenses with top-12 quarterbacks and have upside in their season openers.

Should you start Everett or Ferguson in Week 1? Let's dive in.

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Jake Ferguson Week 1 Fantasy Outlook

After posting 19 receptions for 174 yards and two touchdowns as a rookie last season, Ferguson enters the 2023 campaign as the starter after the departure of veteran Dalton Schultz.

While Ferguson's athletic profile and college production won't blow anyone away, he slots into a valuable role in the Dallas offense that has yielded fantasy points in bunches over the last few years.

The Cowboys start the season on Sunday Night Football against the New York Giants, who allowed the 12th-most fantasy points to tight ends last season. In the Cowboys' second game against the Giants last year, Schultz caught four passes for 31 yards and two touchdowns, while Ferguson hauled in three receptions for 57 yards.

There's a chance Dallas sees covering tight end as a weakness for New York, meaning Ferguson could burst onto the fantasy scene in his first week as the full-time starter.

Gerald Everett Week 1 Fantasy Outlook

Everett posted career-highs in receptions (58), receiving yards (555), and touchdowns (four) last season in his first year with the Chargers. He continues to be on the fantasy radar since he's attached to superstar quarterback Justin Herbert, and he has real upside in Week 1.

The Chargers-Dolphins matchup has the highest projected game total in Week 1 (51.5 points), meaning this could be a smash spot for several pass-catchers on both teams.

Everett has a ton of target competition in Keenan Allen, Mike Williams, Josh Palmer, Quentin Johnston, and Austin Ekeler, but with Herbert at quarterback, multiple receivers can pay off in fantasy football.

Should I Start Gerald Everett Or Jake Ferguson in Week 1?

While Ferguson is a fantasy sleeper in 2023, it's too early to know if he'll be a key piece of the Dallas offensive attack in 2023. Everett has a lot of high-end pass-catchers to compete with for targets, but the potential shootout in Los Angeles makes him the more attractive tight end in Week 1.

The veteran tight end has never produced an elite fantasy campaign, but he has put up spike weeks and is the more proven asset at this point in his career.

Ultimately, both players have upside, but Everett gets the slight edge here.

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