Commanders' Zach Ertz: Gets one-year deal with Commanders
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Ertz and Washington agreed to terms Wednesday on a one-year contract worth up to $5 million, Tom Pelissero of NFL Network reports.
Ertz replaces Logan Thomas as a capable veteran atop the Commanders' tight end depth chart. He arrives in Washington with existing familiarity with offensive coordinator Kliff Kingsbury's scheme from their time together in Arizona, where Kingsbury served as head coach from 2019 through 2022. As a result of ending last season on Detroit's practice squad, Ertz is eligible to ink a new contract before the start of the new league year March 13. Across seven games with the Cardinals last season before he was released in November, Ertz secured 27 of 43 targets for 187 yards and one touchdown. Depending on how Washington addresses its quarterback situation this offseason, Ertz could carry some fantasy value for the 2024 campaign as a volume play.
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Zach Ertz: Practice-squad deal expires
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Ertz's practice-squad contract with the Lions expired Monday, Justin Rogers of The Detroit News reports.
Ertz's 2023 campaign effectively ended after Week 7, when he sustained a strained quadriceps that forced a stint on injured reserve. On Nov. 30, the Cardinals waived him so he could pursue another opportunity, and he eventually landed with Detroit's practice squad in the week leading up to the NFC Championship Game. The Lions' tight end group was incredibly banged up at the time, with Brock Wright (forearm) and James Mitchell (hand) landing on IR during the playoffs, but the team didn't elevate Ertz for the aforementioned contest. The ensuing 34-31 loss at San Francisco thus brought any chance of a return for Ertz this season to a close, and it remains to be seen if the 33-year-old garners any interest in free agency once the new league year kicks off March 13.
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Zach Ertz: Joining Lions' practice squad
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Ertz (quadriceps) is signing with Detroit's practice squad Monday, Tom Pelissero of NFL Network reports.
Ertz, who went unclaimed on waivers after being cut loose by Arizona in late November, will begin on the Lions' practice squad but could have a chance to get up to speed with the team in time to contribute during the NFC Championship Game against the 49ers. With Brock Wright (forearm) having suffered a fracture during Sunday's 31-23 win over the Buccaneers, Detroit currently only has Anthony Firkser available on the active roster behind rookie sensation Sam LaPorta.
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Zach Ertz: Unclaimed on waivers
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Ertz (quadriceps) passed through waivers unclaimed Friday and is now a free agent, Mike Garafolo of NFL Network reports.
Ertz will look for the best fit among contending teams before deciding where to sign. The veteran tight end had 27 catches for 187 yards and one touchdown through seven games before suffering a quadriceps injury. Ertz was placed on IR and subsequently mutually agreed to part ways with the Cardinals, who waived him Thursday. At age 33, Ertz will probably work in more of a complementary role wherever he lands, though he will first have to show that his quadriceps has healed.
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Zach Ertz: Cut loose by Arizona
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Arizona officially waived Ertz (quadricep) on Thursday, Darren Urban of the Cardinals' official site reports.
Shortly after Ertz's former Cardinals teammate, retired defensive end J.J. Watt, announced via social media that Arizona and the tight end were parting ways, the team confirmed the transaction. The decision makes sense for both parties, as the 2-10 Cardinals are seemingly invested in second-year player Trey McBride as their tight end of the present and future, while the 33-year-old Ertz was eager to join a playoff-contending team that could have a role available for him. Before landing on injured reserve Oct. 24 with a strained quad and missing each of Arizona's last five games, Ertz compiled a 27-187-1 receiving line on 43 targets in seven appearances. Ertz is in the second season of a three-year, $31.65 million contract, so the expectation is that he'll clear waivers before signing elsewhere on a more team-friendly one-year deal.
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Cardinals' Zach Ertz: Set to part ways with Arizona
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The Cardinals and Ertz (quadricep) agreed Thursday to mutually part ways, and the team is soon expected to formally waive him, Adam Schefter of ESPN reports.
The news of Ertz requesting a departure from Arizona was first announced via social media by the tight end's former Cardinals teammate, retired defensive end J.J. Watt. With the Cardinals electing to move forward with second-year player Trey McBride as their top tight end, Ertz will be given the chance to find work with a playoff-contending club down the stretch. After making a rapid recovery from the torn ACL and MCL he suffered last November, Ertz recorded 27 receptions for 187 yards and a touchdown on 43 targets in Arizona's first seven games before landing on injured reserve Oct. 24 with a strained quad. The 33-year-old is presumably close to full health now following a five-week absence, so he could be ready to contribute right away once he finds a new landing spot. Because he's in the second season of a three-year, $31.65 million deal, Ertz will most likely clear waivers before signing with a club at a more affordable rate.
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Cardinals' Zach Ertz: Moving to IR
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The Cardinals are placing Ertz on injured reserve due to a strained quadriceps that he sustained during Sunday's 20-10 loss at Seattle, Mike Garafolo of NFL Network reports.
After logging at least 60 percent of the offensive snaps from Weeks 1-5, Ertz's workload was scaled back the last two games while second-year pro Trey McBride saw increased run. Ertz and McBride both handled 35 of 66 snaps Week 7, but the former notched less than 25 receiving yards (19 on three catches) for a third straight game. Ertz will miss at least the next four contests, which should allow McBride to take on a majority share of the TE reps in the Cardinals offense.
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Cardinals' Zach Ertz: Notches two receptions Sunday
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Ertz had two catches (on five targets) for 22 yards during Sunday's 26-9 loss to the Rams.
Through the first five games of the season, Ertz easily paced Cardinals tight ends in terms of offensive snaps, but he played second fiddle in that regard to second-year pro Trey McBride in Week 6 (35-44). McBride also outproduced Ertz on the same number of targets on his way to a 4-62-0 line. It's unclear if the flip in scripts is a sign of things to come for the duo, but Ertz now has surpassed 25 receiving yards just two times on the campaign.
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Cardinals' Zach Ertz: TEs to Sit
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Ertz has scored at least 8.1 PPR points in four of five games this season, but his production of late is kind of tricky. He has two games in his past three outings with four targets or less, and you got lucky with his Fantasy production in Week 5 against the Bengals when he caught his first touchdown of the year despite having just two catches for 10 yards on four targets. The matchup against the Rams isn't awful since three tight ends have scored against Los Angeles in the past two games (Andrew Ogletree, Mo Alie-Cox and Dallas Goedert), but Goedert is the lone tight end with more than 48 receiving yards against the Rams this year. Ertz is only worth starting in deep PPR leagues in Week 6.
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Cardinals' Zach Ertz: Contrarian DFS Play
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Anybody who was buying into Zach Ertz's target share and expecting regression in efficiency caught a break in Week 5 as the targets dried up but Ertz reached the end zone. The Rams have been one of the best matchups for tight ends this year, so I'm going right back to him.
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Cardinals' Zach Ertz: Gets into end zone against Cincy
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Ertz caught two of four targets for 10 yards and a touchdown in Sunday's 34-20 loss to the Bengals.
The yardage total was the lowest of Arizona's three tight ends -- Geoff Swaim caught two passes for 22 yards and Trey McBride caught two for 17 -- but Ertz was the only one of the trio to get into the end zone, snatching a four-yard TD pass from Joshua Dobbs in the second quarter. It's the veteran's first touchdown of the season, and while the split in targets among the position group isn't encouraging for the fantasy value of any of them, there could be opportunities for more than one Cardinals TE to make a splash in Week 6 against a Rams defense that just gave up an 8-117-1 line to the Eagles' Dallas Goedert.
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Cardinals' Zach Ertz: Sleeper TEs
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Ertz should have scored his first touchdown of the season in Week 4 at San Francisco, but the ball slipped out of his hands for a bad drop late in the fourth quarter. Still, Ertz scored at least 11.3 PPR points for the second time in three games, and he has three outings this season with at least six catches and eight targets. This week, he's facing a Bengals defense that has allowed three tight ends in the past three games (Mark Andrews, Tyler Higbee and Josh Whyle) to score at least 10.6 PPR points, and Ertz has top-10 upside in PPR in Week 5.
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Cardinals' Zach Ertz: Sleepers (Start/Sit)
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Ertz should have scored his first touchdown of the season in Week 4 at San Francisco, but the ball slipped out of his hands for a bad drop late in the fourth quarter. Still, Ertz scored at least 11.3 PPR points for the second time in three games, and he has three outings this season with at least six catches and eight targets. This week, he's facing a Bengals defense that has allowed three tight ends in the past three games (Mark Andrews, Tyler Higbee and Josh Whyle) to score at least 10.6 PPR points, and Ertz has top-10 upside in PPR in Week 5.
Few players have done less with more than Ertz. Yes, that's what I meant to type. He ranks fourth at the position with 20 catches but 16th in yards, and he hasn't scored yet. He should have scored in Week 4, but he dropped it. All those negatives being said, he's still seeing an enormous target share and tight end is too bad of a position to just ignore that.
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Cardinals' Zach Ertz: Week 5 Waiver Priority List
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Ertz is worth trusting as a low-end starter in PPR, and he should be added for 5-10 percent of your FAB. In Week 4 at San Francisco, Ertz had six catches for 53 yards on 10 targets, and he should have caught a touchdown. This is now his third game this season with six catches and at least eight targets. He's yet to top 56 receiving yards or score a touchdown, but he will hopefully continue to be a reliable option in PPR for the rest of the year.
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Cardinals' Zach Ertz: Rebounds with six receptions
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Ertz finished with six receptions on 10 targets for 53 yards in Sunday's 35-16 loss to San Francisco.
Ertz returned to form after last week's two-catch dud, recording six catches for the third time through four games to start the season. The usually sure-handed tight end could have scored his first touchdown of 2023 had he not let a well-placed pass from quarterback Joshua Dobbs slip through his hands in the end zone Sunday. Ertz will look to correct his mistake and hit pay dirt when the Cardinals face the Bengals next Sunday.
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Cardinals' Zach Ertz: TEs to Sit
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Ertz started out with two solid games against Washington and the Giants, catching 12 passes for 77 yards on 18 targets and scoring at least 8.1 PPR points in each outing. But he cooled off in Week 3 against Dallas with two catches for 6 yards on two targets, and he should struggle again in Week 4 at San Francisco. The 49ers haven't allowed a tight end to gain more than 20 receiving yards this season, including matchups with Pat Freiermuth, Tyler Higbee and Darren Waller, and Ertz is not worth starting in most leagues.
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Cardinals' Zach Ertz: Meager outing Sunday
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Ertz gathered in both of his targets for six yards during Sunday's 28-16 win against the Cowboys.
Through two contests, Ertz was pacing the Cardinals in targets with 18 on his way to 12 catches for 77 yards and no touchdowns. In Week 3 though, quarterback Joshua Dobbs' focus was on his top two wide receivers, with Marquise Brown and Rondale Moore combining for 13 targets. There figures to be some ebb and flow among the team's skill-position players in terms of usage, and Ertz still led Arizona tight ends in snap share (59 percent), ahead of Geoff Swaim (52 percent) and Trey McBride (49 percent). Ertz may have a tough time getting back on track this coming Sunday on the road against the 49ers.
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Cardinals' Zach Ertz: Bust Alert (Start/Sit)
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Ertz has done a nice job in PPR in the first two games of the season, and it's great to see him being productive after last year's torn ACL. In two matchups against Washington and the Giants, Ertz has 12 catches for 77 yards on 18 targets, and it's clear Joshua Dobbs will continue to lean on him. He has a tough matchup in Week 3 against Dallas, and I would try to bench Ertz in the majority of leagues, especially PPR. The Cowboys did allow Tyler Conklin to score 10.0 PPR points in Week 2 with five catches for 50 yards on six targets, but they also held Darren Waller to 6.6 PPR points in Week 1 with three catches for 36 yards on five targets. In non-PPR leagues, Ertz is a definite sit since he's yet to top 56 receiving yards in any game and hasn't scored a touchdown.
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Cardinals' Zach Ertz: Week 3 Waiver Priority List
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Ertz has done a nice job in PPR in the first two games of the season, and it's nice to see him being productive after last year's torn ACL. In matchups against Washington and the Giants, Ertz has 12 catches for 77 yards on 18 targets, and it's clear Joshua Dobbs will continue to lean on him. He has a tough matchup in Week 3 against Dallas, but Ertz can be considered a low-end starter in PPR given his 9.0 targets per game to start the season. He's worth adding in PPR for up to 5 percent of your remaining FAB.
