Fantasy Football 2017: So you want to wait on tight ends?
By Dan Thomas
2. Zach Ertz, Philadelphia Eagles
Fantasy Football Calculator ADP: 12.04
Much like 2015, last year was a tale of two halves for Eagles tight end Zach Ertz. In the first half of the season, Ertz was hot garbage when it comes to fantasy football. Between Weeks 1-8, he was the 34th PPR tight end. He missed two games with an injury, didn’t score a touchdown and never reached 60 yards receiving in any of his games. At that point, Ertz was waiver-wire material. Yet, it you were able to scoop him up off of waivers, it worked out well for you.
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Between Weeks 9-17, Ertz was fantasy football’s No. 1 PPR tight end. Across those nine games Ertz averaged 7 receptions and 74 yards per game and averaged 2.3 points per game more than last year’s No.1 overall fantasy football tight end Travis Kelce. In the end, Ertz finished last year as the No. 6 PPR tight end.
During the offseason the Eagles added a few more pass catchers in Alshon Jeffery, Torrey Smith and fourth-round pick Mack Hollins. With these additions plus the assumption Carson Wentz will throw less in 2017 (fifth in passing attempts in 2016), it’s hard to believe Ertz will average 7.5 targets a game like last season. However, if Ertz can stay healthy and not be irrelevant for half the season like the last two years, Ertz could finish as a top-five PPR tight end. In the 12th-round, he screams value for owners still searching for their starting tight end.