Zach Ertz Fantasy Football Outlook 2022 (Big Value From Hopkins' Absence)

Zach Ertz has been one of the NFL's top tight ends ever since he was a second-round pick back in 2013. Entering his first full season with the Arizona Cardinals, fantasy managers are hoping for big things from the veteran after finishing the 2021 season as the TE5 in PPR formats.

The Cardinals tend to boast a high-flying offense and Ertz has a defined role in it as the team's starting tight end. However, can he take advantage of teammate DeAndre Hopkins' six-game suspension to start the upcoming campaign?

Zach Ertz Fantasy Football Outlook

Ertz looked quite rejuvenated once he was traded from the Philadelphia Eagles to the Cardinals. By the time the season ended, the Orange, CA native had played 17 games across both teams, tallying 74 catches for 763 receiving yards and 5 touchdowns.

What's encouraging was Ertz's production after he arrived in Arizona. Taking his stats over 11 games with the Cardinals, the veteran TE was on pace for 87 receptions, 887 yards and 5 TDs.

With Hopkins' aforementioned suspension to begin the year, Ertz has a nice opportunity to pick up some extra targets. The 30-year-old wideout saw 6.4 targets per game last year and even though he plays a different position, Ertz's connection with quarterback Kyler Murray should pay off.

As long as Ertz stays healthy and his role in the Cardinals' offense doesn't change, averaging about 10 or so PPR points per game is within the realm of possibility.

Zach Ertz Projections

As it stands, FanDuel Sportsbook doesn't have any NFL projections for Ertz this season. However, it doesn't hurt to check back periodically to see if any markets are added before the season begins.

Is Zach Ertz a Good Fantasy Football Pick?

Ertz was a top-five tight end last season and there's no reason to doubt him going forward. He has great chemistry with Murray while Hopkins' absence to begin the year should boost the tight end's fantasy production, at least by a bit.

The Duel currently lists Ertz as the TE9 on our PPR fantasy football rankings. Meanwhile, Fantasy Pros has his average draft position at 93.7, making him someone that likely won't be on the board by the name the end of Round 8 approaches in 12-team leagues.

If you've drafted Ertz, then check out the best Arizona Cardinals fantasy football team names for your squad.

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Devon Platana is not a FanDuel employee. In addition to providing DFS gameplay advice, Devon Platana also participates in DFS contests on FanDuel using his personal account, username PepeSilvia0. While the strategies and player selections recommended in his articles are his personal views, he may deploy different strategies and player selections when entering contests with his personal account. The views expressed in their articles are the author's alone and do not necessarily reflect the views of FanDuel.