Is Zach Ertz Injured or Playing? Should I Start Trey McBride In Fantasy Football?

Tight end Zach Ertz began 2023 right where he spent the majority of 2022. The veteran dominated snap shares for the Arizona Cardinals and put together respective fantasy football performances en route to being a top-10 tight end.

Then came a shift. The Cardinals' coaching staff realized that a young, high-draft capital tight end also existed on the roster. Trey McBride began splitting the tight end snaps and targets over the last two weeks. McBride, in his sophomore season, actually held an advantage in both categories.

Now, there's a second shift coming and it could provide some value for fantasy managers seeking an upgrade at a deficient position.

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Is Zach Ertz Playing In Week 8 Fantasy Football?

Ertz suffered a quad injury during the Cardinals' loss to the Seattle Seahawks. He has since been placed on injured reserve.

This is the second straight season that Ertz has been placed on the shelf. A torn ACL in Week 10 in 2022 ended his season.

This time around, it's not a season-ending injury. He will be eligible to return after four games but there's no exact timeline on when he'll be back on the field.

Should I Start Trey McBride In Week 8 Fantasy Football?

Ertz was earning the sixth-most targets (43) among the tight end position through seven weeks. Trey McBride gathered 21 more. That's a lot of targets for a position scarcely used in some offenses.

McBride was the first tight end selected in the 2022 NFL Draft. His Next Gen Stats prospect grade ranked the highest in his class and he won the John Mackey Award as the country's best tight end in 2021. He's a strong prospect and proved he can produce when he went for 7/78/1 against Atlanta in Week 17 of 2022 with David Blough at quarterback.

The bad news for McBride is that Joshua Dobbs is likely still the starting quarterback in Arizona and he faces what could be the best defense in football. The Baltimore Ravens surrender the fewest points per game and the fewest fantasy points to opposing tight ends. The Cardinals have an implied point total of 17.5 points on Sunday. It's hard to get excited about anyone on the Arizona offense this week.

Kyler Murray will return to the field sooner rather than later. Then, McBride will be a legitimate starting option across all formats. He's a great stash candidate but keep him on the bench in Week 8.

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