While there are still several questions surrounding the Philadelphia Eagles, at least they will have one of their main offensive weapons in Dallas Goedert when they take on the Seattle Seahawks on Monday Night Football. With fellow TE Zach Ertz out for tonight’s game, what is the fantasy football outlook for Dallas Goedert in Week 12, and what does it mean moving forward? With only a few weeks remaining to secure yourself a first-round bye or even just a spot in the playoffs, getting an advantage at the thinnest position in fantasy could pay dividends.
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Eagles TE Zach Ertz has been ruled out for Mondays game
Despite reports that TE Zach Ertz was trending in the right direction, the Eagles have ruled him out for their Week 12 game against the Seattle Seahawks. NFL Network’s Mike Garafolo reported that the team would leave Ertz on the IR with a possibility that he is removed and activated before their Week 13 game. Head Coach Doug Pederson added that there was “no setback” regarding Ertz’s injury and the hope is he can return next week against the Green Bay Packers.
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Ertz hasn’t played since Week 6 after suffering a high-ankle sprain that landed him on injured reserve, three weeks after Dallas Goedert ended up on the IR. The eight-year veteran was designated to return from IR last week, which allowed Ertz to practice.
2020 has been a year that Zach Ertz would like to forget. After five-straight season of 100+ targets in 14 or more games each year, Ertz has played in just six games. He caught 24 of his 45 targets for 178 yards and one touchdown. After saying that he wanted to receive top tight end money, this season likely put a dent in his upcoming contract negotiations as he enters free agency after the season.
Dallas Goedert will be a top target on Monday night, regardless of who is playing QB
When on the field, TE Dallas Goedert is one of the best fantasy options at his position. Even when playing with a healthy Zach Ertz all least season, Goedert put up 58 receptions on 87 targets for 607 yards and five touchdowns, finishing as the TE10 in PPR formats. Part of this was due to a lack of talent at the wide receiver position but also because the Eagles run more two-tight end sets than anyone else in the NFL.
These trends have continued into the 2020 season even though Dallas Goedert has also had issues staying healthy, much like the rest of the team. For the first two games, Goedert looked like the TE1 on the team, catching 12 of 17 targets for 131 yards and one touchdown.
Unfortunately, he suffered a small left ankle fracture and a sprained ankle in the team’s Week 3 matchup against the Cincinnati Bengals that resulted in him being placed on the IR, where he stayed until Week 8. His return was more of a “feel out” performance rather than full activation. He caught his only target for a 15 yard gain while playing on 83% of the snaps. This was likely due to the team’s upcoming Week 9 bye and getting an additional two weeks or recovery.
Back at full-strength, Dallas Goedert has been one of the best options in fantasy football over the last two weeks. Racking up 26 PPR points thanks to nine receptions on 12 targets for 110 yards and one touchdown.
Over the last two weeks, Goedert has played on 130 of the team’s 135 offensive snaps (41 of them from the slot) and has seen a team-high 16% target share.
The question for tonight isn’t so much about Dallas Goedert, but about who will be throwing to him. While Carson Wentz will be the starting QB for the Eagles, rookie Jalen Hurts has been taking increased reps with the starters and is going to see an increased role in the offense. Knowing the Eagles are on their 10th different starting offensive line, it’s a safe bet a quick read will be the prudent choice as they try to keep up with the Seahawks offense.
With Zach Ertz out for one more week, what can we expect from Dallas Goedert in fantasy?
If you have Dallas Goedert, start him but know this could be a bumpy ride tonight. The Seahawks allow just 10.18 fantasy points to opposing tight ends though few teams use them as frequently as the Eagles. In fact, they’ve received a 26.9% target share on the year. Seattle has also seen a league-low 5.5 tight end targets per game, a number that will surely go up tonight.
The Seahawks allow only a 58.2% catch-rate to tight ends, but they allow a league-high 14.3 yards per reception when they do catch the ball. This game will likely be wet as well, which makes me like the tight ends even more. Knowing the usage that Dallas Goedert will see, he is still a TE1 for me in Week 12.
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Tommy Garrett is a writer for PFN covering Fantasy Football. You can read more of his work here and follow him at @TommygarrettPFN on Twitter.