Zach Ertz may now be a must-start after the Dallas Goedert injury.
This has not been the start to the 2020 NFL season the Philadelphia Eagles were hoping for. Through three games, the Birds are winless at 0-2-1. Quarterback Carson Wentz has played poorly throughout and the only saving grace the Eagles thus far is that they play in an atrocious division. With Dallas Goedert going down, this means Zach Ertz has to step up and be their TE1.
The Fantasy Footballers were bummed to see Goedert injure his ankle in Sunday’s tie vs. the Cincinnati Bengals at home. He is expected to miss some time. The good news is Ertz will now be used more readily in the Eagles’ passing offense. This is great for his overall fantasy football value, as well as the necessary familiar target to hopefully get Wentz right heading into October.
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A lot has been made about the Eagles’ often-injured receiving corps, but the one constant throughout the last five years is Wentz’s rapport with Ertz. He is Wentz’s safety valve, so much so he tends to forget to throw to other pass-catchers from time to time. It had helped establish Ertz as a bona fide top-tier tight end in football heading into this season. Well, things changed.
Carson Wentz’s connection with Zach Ertz might get him back on track.
In the first two games of 2020, Ertz had a combined eight receptions for 60 yards and a touchdown with both games being Eagles losses. Once Goedert went down early in the Week 3 matchup vs. the Bengals, Ertz began to pick up steam in the passing game. Though not a banner day for Wentz at all, he connected with his tight end seven times for 70 yards in the awkward tie.
Though the Eagles are expected to lose in primetime Week 4 vs. the 2-1 San Francisco 49ers on Sunday Night Football on the road, perhaps the connection between Wentz and Ertz will be a reason the Birds have a shot at getting the upset? Should Wentz play poorly for the fourth week in a row, it might be time for head coach Doug Pederson to see what rookie Jalen Hurts can do.
No matter how well Wentz does, Ertz stands as a player with increasing fantasy value for as long as Goedert is sidelined. Should Pederson be left with no choice but to go to Hurts, keep in mind a tight end is a young starting quarterback’s best friend. Hurts was an accurate passer at both Alabama and Oklahoma in his illustrious college career. Either way, Ertz’s fantasy stock is soaring.