Bruce Kluckhohn-USA TODAY Sports
In the 2013 NFL season, Philadelphia Eagles tight end Zach Ertz enjoyed a nice, but quiet rookie season.
Looking at his performances in the past season, his numbers may not jump off the page for fantasy owners; he posted 36 receptions for 469 yards and four touchdowns. The main statistic to look at when judging Ertz heading into the 2014 season is his catch success rate. On 56 targets, Ertz hauled in 36 of those for a 64 percent success rate. If Ertz can keep up that success rate with a larger amount of passes thrown his way, he could be in for an exciting 2014 season.
Some of his less than impressive performances this season can be attributed to the Eagles unstable quarterback situation early on in the 2013 season. However, it appears Nick Foles has taken a stranglehold of the starting job heading into next season. Since Foles took over permanently from Michael Vick, Ertz enjoyed a major upswing in his production. He produced 25 of his 36 receptions over the final nine games of the season. It is clear that Ertz is comfortable with Foles throwing him the ball, and that comfort should only increase going forward. The Eagles used him sparingly during the first half of the 2013 season, but it was quite obvious that he was given more of a game plan in the second half of the season.
Fantasy owners should view Ertz as a late-round selection and a fantastic depth option for a tight end or flex position. Ertz can’t be seen as a possible TE-1 just yet, because he has to prove himself when given a bigger role in the offense. Owners should like the fact that the up-tempo style of play that the Eagles’ offense exhibits fits his skill set perfectly.
According to Ertz, “One of the big things was that I was used out wide, in the slot, in the 3-point, obviously. I think the game just kind of slowed down as well.” Lining up Ertz in different positions all over the field makes him more difficult for defenses to read. He could be a possible fantasy breakout candidate in 2014.
