Friday update: Ertz was again limited in practice and is listed as questionable to go against the Commanders. His recovery from offseason surgery is still ongoing it seems, so he’s someone to be wary of in Week 1 if he does suit up, especially with Trey McBride also vying for targets.
Thursday update: Ertz remained limited with a knee injury in Thursday’s practice, which means he maintained the same level of work from Wednesday. We’ll see if Ertz is able to work up to a full session Friday or if he goes into the weekend with a designation. Ertz is reportedly cleared to play in Week 1 but we’ll see if the Cardinals ultimately do decide to send him out there against Washington.
Arizona Cardinals tight end Zach Ertz logged a limited practice Wednesday as he continues to recover from a knee injury that ended his 2022 season. Ertz has reportedly been cleared to play in Week 1 against the Washington Commanders, but the Cardinals could still manage his workload if he doesn’t feel like he’s completely ready to go.
The @AZCardinals are healthy to start the regular season. Some limited guys. Waiting to see if Zach Ertz will play Week 1.
— Arizona Cardinals Insiders (@AZCardsInsiders) September 6, 2023
-@Cardschatter pic.twitter.com/Am4RKENAqP
Fantasy football implications for Week 1
Tight end is usually not a fun spot to try to find players on the waiver wire, so managers might want to look into adding Cardinals backup Trey McBride in the event Ertz remains limited or trends downward with a DNP on Thursday or Friday. It seems likely Ertz will play in Week 1 and he should see a solid target share as the Cardinals are set to play either Joshua Dobbs or Clayton Tune. When you’ve got a young or inexperienced quarterback under center, those tight end checkdowns are easy money. Ertz is a great pickup in PPR formats as a buy-low tight end option if he is available to play.