Arizona Cardinals tight end Zach Ertz saw a surprising amount of work earlier in the season, with eight or more targets in three of Arizona's first four games.
But Ertz recently suffered a quad injury and was put on the IR. When will Ertz be eligible to return from the IR?
When is Ertz coming back to action? What is his fantasy football outlook when he returns? Let's dive in.
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Ertz is eligible to return in Week 12 against the Los Angeles Rams. There is no indication of whether that will happen yet, but the Cardinals might not rush him back given the emergence of second-year tight end Trey McBride.
Zach Ertz Injury Update for Fantasy Football
Zach Ertz was placed on the Injured Reserve following Arizona's loss to Seattle in Week 7. When NFL players end up on the Injured Reserve, they must miss at least four games before they are eligible to return to the field.
Ertz missed the Week 8 game against the Ravens and the Week 9 game against the Browns, so he will have to miss at least two more games. He would be eligible to return to the field in Week 12 when the team takes on the Los Angeles Rams.
The plan seems to be for Ertz to return this season, so it wouldn't be a surprise to see him back on the field when he's eligible to return. The issue, though, is how much fantasy value Ertz will have once he's back.
Zach Ertz Fantasy Football Outlook
With Ertz sidelined, Trey McBride has stepped into the starting lineup. In his first game without Ertz, McBride was targeted 14 times in the 31-24 loss, catching 10 of those passes for 95 yards and a touchdown. He led the Cardinals in targets, receptions, and receiving yards in the contest.
While it's clear that the Cardinals want to involve the tight end in this offense, the emergence of McBride could mean a major reduction in Ertz's playing time once he returns.
Early in the year, volume made Ertz a low-end TE1 play, but once he's back, he's likely to be more like a low-end TE2 (or lower) if McBride continues to excel in his absence.
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