Week 1 game status: Ertz is officially listed as ACTIVE for Week 1 against the Commanders.
Inactives vs. Commanders pic.twitter.com/C0OO1EDl97
— Arizona Cardinals (@AZCardinals) September 10, 2023
Sunday, Sept. 10 AM Update: Arizona will already be turning to a backup quarterback with Kyler Murray on IR so they can’t afford many more injuries. Ertz is questionable for the game but is expected to play.
#AZCardinals WR Marquise Brown (hamstring) and TE Zach Ertz (knee) — both listed as questionable — are both expected to play today, sources say.
— Ian Rapoport (@RapSheet) September 10, 2023
Arizona Cardinals tight end Zach Ertz is still working his way back from a torn ACL he suffered in mid November last season. The team cleared him to practice in August, but he’s still on the injury report, showing up with a questionable designation ahead of a Week 1 contest on the road against the Washington Commanders.
Ertz did practice in a limited role this week, getting in some work on all three days. Still, given that he’s recovering from a pretty serious knee injury, it wouldn’t be shock to see the Cardinals take it slow with him to start the season. They play in the early slot this week, so we’ll know for sure whether or not Ertz will play at least 90 minutes before the action kicks off.
Zach Ertz injury status: Betting and DFS implications for Week 1
The Cardinals are heading into this one as seven-point underdogs, and it feels like it’s going to be hard for them to cover with or without Zach Ertz in the lineup. Their top wide receiver, Marquise Brown, is also listed as questionable. The over on 38 points isn’t especially attractive in this one either, Ertz or not.
Arizona does have a viable backup to Ertz in second-year player Trey McBride. Last season, McBride posted 265 yards and a touchdown on 29 receptions, with of that coming after the team lost Ertz. He has some appeal as a low end option in DFS lineups. The main problem here is a Cardinals offense led by Josh Dobbs to start the season; it’s going to be difficult for them to put up many points, dragging down the fantasy appeal of any players in their lineup. Still, McBride or a healthy Ertz could post acceptable numbers from time to time, based on the matchup, as an outlet for an iffy quarterback situation.