Week 4 at Washington
Zach Ertz caught just two balls for 30 yards last week and was only targeted twice. It's been a tough go for Ertz so far this season, but chances are pretty good he's not 100-percent after his core body injury in preseason. As a result, Ertz is way down our list at the position in what is just an OK matchup against Washington (which ranks 13th in allowing fantasy points to the position). You may want to stick with another option until Ertz starts to show he's back to form along with the rest of the passing game.
Week 3 at New York Jets
Zach Ertz caught just three balls for 17 yards on seven targets in Week 2. So far, he has just six catches on 15 targets so he's not connecting with QB Sam Brandford, who looks like he's trying to get him the ball. Ertz missed a lot of time during training camp with a core injury, which could be the reason they aren't on the same page. Ertz had a great matchup last week and it's another good one this week, but the offense isn't playing well and Ertz may not be 100-percent after his injury. As a result, he's ranked as a middle-of-the road TE2 option this week so you may want to think about another option until we see more.
Week 2 vs. Dallas
Zach Ertz had three catches for 46 yards on eight targets in Week 1. He had a big play called back on a penalty, so his final numbers aren't as impressive as he looked in Week 1. He was also a question mark recovering from a core injury, but should be good going forward.
Ertz has a really nice matchup in Week 2 as the Cowboys are 26th in fantasy points allowed to TEs. Ertz ranks more like a TE2 this week and it is actually still hard to tell how much he'll be involved in the offense week-to-week. In a closer game, Ertz may lose some time to Brent Celek as the 24-year-old continues to struggle as a blocker.
Week 1 at Atlanta
Zach Ertz was back at practice Wednesday after surgery on his groin. He's certainly a question mark for Week 1 against Atlanta, which is a Monday night game, so fantasy owners need to have a backup plan if they currently have Ertz in their lineups. On top of Ertz's questionable status, the Falcons are good at keeping TEs in check in terms of fantasy points, as they ranked ninth in that department last season. Ertz is just 19th on our TE list this week, so it's probably best to go another direction. Brent Celek would get the nod if Ertz can't go.
Fantasy Upside
After not being able to stay on the field last year because of his blocking, this is the year Zach Ertz could be poised to bust out. He's worked hard in the offseason on the blocking part of his game, which should get him more playing time in 2015. With no big names at WR, Ertz really has an opportunity to develop with either QB Sam Bradford or Mark Sanchez to become a reliable, go-to target. Chip Kelly's offense likes to run a lot of plays, so Ertz should be able to get his opportunities.
Fantasy Downside
Veteran Brent Celek is still in the picture and still can do it all between blocking and receiving and is looked up to as a leader, so he's still likely to take away some production from Ertz. And while Ertz may have improved as a blocker, it remains to be seen if he can earn the trust Celek seems to have with Kelly.
Bottom Line
Ertz is ranked seventh among our TEs this year with an ADP of the ninth round. Because he's only shown flashes to this point, you take a bit of a chance he still hasn't reached that level of a consistent fantasy point-getter. While the signs are certainly there for Ertz to break out this season, and even though we don't recommend drafting two TEs, owners looking to draft Ertz may at least want to at least have a backup plan.
Week 17 - Ertz vs. NY Giants
Zach Ertz busted out for 15 catches and 115 yards last week giving those who played him a nice surprise. Needless to say, the performance came out of nowhere and the Eagles answer was simply they saw it as a spot to attack. These were the type of numbers many expected from Ertz earlier in the season. This week's matchup is also a good one as the Giants are near the bottom in allowing fantasy points to TEs.
Week 16 - Ertz vs. Washington
Zach Ertz caught three balls for 32 yards on four targets last week against Dallas. Ertz was shutout when these teams met just a couple of weeks ago, so his lack of production wasn't a huge surprise as he was a risky play. Ertz gets a nice matchup this week as Washington is just 29th in allowing fantasy points to the TE. Mark Sanchez just missed Ertz on a potential big play last week and the Eagles beat writers say Ertz is getting open. He comes in as just a lower-end TE2 this week. You're hoping for a big play.
Week 15 - Ertz vs. Dallas
Zach Ertz caught his third TD pass of the season last week against Seattle. It wasn't a great matchup coming in, and Ertz was a risky play. But he did end up with two catches for 39 yards on three targets. This week, it's an easier matchup on paper against Dallas, who rank 20th in allowing fantasy points to TEs. Just two weeks ago, Ertz was targeted only one time in the team's win over the Cowboys. And as our rankings reflect, he's just not a safe play.
Week 14 - Ertz vs. Seattle
The Eagles didn't really have the TE in the game plan last week, as Zach Ertz was targeted just once in the game and didn't make a catch. He played on just 20 of 77 snaps. It's been a struggle for Ertz, especially the second half of the season where he's lost time to Brent Celek because of his blocking. The Birds line is back together for the most part, but it's still not freeing up Ertz to make plays. The Seahawks rank 10th in allowing fantasy points to TEs so Ertz is a risky option.
Week 13 - Ertz vs. Dallas
Zach Ertz caught four balls for 30 yards last week against the Titans. He was targeted six times. He's actually average six targets the last two weeks after getting a total of five in Weeks 9 and 10. Ertz has eight total catches and 85 yards over the last two games as well, however, it's the second week in the last three he's been out-produced by Brent Celek, as Ertz playing time has slid to 30-35% of the snaps weekly.
It's a great matchup, as the Cowboys are just 26th in allowing fantasy points to TEs. Even with that pointing in Ertz's favor, he's simply not playing enough to be relied upon as anything but a boom-or-bust TE2 type.
