As we inch toward the new season, the ever-changing NFL landscape has player fantasy values constantly on the move. Whether you’re used to the dynasty platform or are still learning the rules, let’s dive into the latest dynasty fantasy football value of Zach Ertz.
Zach Ertz’s Dynasty Outlook and Value
After looking like he was just about done in 2020, Ertz revitalized his career following a mid-2021 trade to the Cardinals. While certainly not the guy he was from 2016-2019, Ertz finished as a TE1 each of the past two seasons.
He averaged 12 ppg in his 11 games with the Cardinals in 2021 and 11.6 ppg in 10 games in 2022. This is who Ertz is now. He’s a back-end TE1, at best.
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The operative phrase there, though, is “at best.” Ertz’s dynasty value is in an awkward spot right now. He’s better than anyone thought he’d be after watching him in 2020, but he’s also 32 years old, coming off a torn ACL and MCL.
The Cardinals just signed Ertz to a three-year extension last March. It looks bad now, given his age, but the Cardinals did not expect 2023 to be a rebuilding year. Despite Ertz’s age and the team’s situation, they are not going to cut him. It would cost them $10 million in dead cap. But they may very well move on after the 2023 season.
Zach Ertz’s Fantasy Ranking
The Cardinals drafted the best tight end prospect in the 2022 class, Trey McBride. He is their tight end of the future. If he can take another step forward in his sophomore season, the Cardinals would have every incentive to move on from a 33-year-old Ertz in 2024.
Ertz will likely return at some point this season, but to what end? He’s an aging player with a low ceiling on a bad offense coming off a brutal knee injury. It is far more likely that we’ve seen the last of Ertz as a fantasy-relevant player than he returns to any sort of prominence.
Between Ertz’s age, injury, and team situation, we have him way down at TE20 (No. 173 overall) in our dynasty Superflex rankings. I really don’t see a plausible scenario where I’d consider taking him in a dynasty startup draft.