Zach Ertz

The fantasy playoffs are upon us in some leagues and just around the corner in others. That makes optimizing your lineup hugely important, and it's hard to do so without having an updated idea of the injury forecast. 

So, let's take a look at what fantasy players are contending with in Week 13:

• Jerry Jeudy (ankle) - Questionable
• Phillip Lindsay (knee) - Questionable
• DJ Chark Jr. (ribs) - Full participant at practice Friday
• Michael Thomas (ankle) - Full participant at practice Friday
• Alvin Kamara (foot) - Full participant at practice Friday
• Julio Jones (hamstring) - Questionable
• Todd Gurley (knee) - Out
• Kenny Golladay (hip) - Out
• Matthew Stafford (thumb) - Questionable
• D'Andre Swift (non-COVID illness) - Questionable
• Khalil Mack (back) - Questionable
• Kareem Hunt (thigh) - Full participant in practice Friday
• A.J. Brown (hip) - Full participant in practice Friday
• Tua Tagovailoa (thumb) - Questionable
• Zach Ertz (ankle) - Full participant in practice Friday
• Joey Bosa (shin) - Full participant in practice Friday
• Daniel Jones (hamstring) - Doubtful
• Denzel Ward (calf) - Out
• Allen Robinson (knee) - Questionable
• Josh Jacobs (ankle) - Out

Losing a star like Jacobs is a major bummer. He's a true RB1 when he's healthy and will be difficult to replace. Devontae Booker is a nice pickup as a handcuff, however.

There is a lot of uncertainty around a lot of potential starters this week. It's probably best to avoid Zach Ertz altogether, with Dallas Goedert available for the Eagles and arguably the better player at this point in their respective careers. 

Thomas, Kamara, Jones, Brown, Hunt and Robinson are all must starts if healthy, however. 

If Kamara can't go, fantasy players better have Latavius Murray locked and loaded as his handcuff after his 19-carry, 124-yard, two-touchdown performance vs. the Denver Broncos. 

Likewise, fantasy players with Nick Chubb won't be sweating if Hunt is unable to play.

It's far harder to replace star receivers with handcuffs on their own team. In those scenarios, your depth is going to be tested. If you've been using waivers each week, you should be fine. Hope for the best, prepare for the worst.

Philadelphia Eagles tight end Zach Ertz is not expected to return from an ankle injury for Monday night's Week 12 game against the Seattle Seahawks. 

Eagles head coach Doug Pederson provided the update Saturday and noted the team is hopeful Ertz will be back to face off with the Green Bay Packers in Week 13, per Jeff McLane of the Philadelphia Inquirer.

The 30-year-old California native has established himself as one of the NFL's best tight ends since the Eagles selected him in the second round of the 2013 draft. His best statistical season came in 2018 when he ranked second in the league with 116 catches to go along with 1,163 yards and eight touchdowns.

Ertz has recorded 24 receptions for 178 yards and one score in six games in 2020.

The Stanford product has remained mostly durable throughout his career. He missed no more than two games in any of his first seven seasons. He suffered the ankle injury in a Week 6 clash with the Baltimore Ravens that forced him to the sideline, though.

Dallas Goedert and Richard Rodgers II will both see some targets while working in tandem to fill the void. Jason Croom or Hakeem Butler could be called up from the practice squad to provide another week of short-term depth at the position.

Goedert and Rodgers are fringe fantasy football options for Week 12. Both are likely dependent on touchdown production to post starter-worthy numbers.

The Eagles have dealt with several injuries among their pass-catching group throughout the campaign, which has made life more difficult for quarterback Carson Wentz. Ertz is such a vital element of the attack that an efficiency drop can be expected whenever he's out of the lineup.

There was reportedly some interest in Philadelphia Eagles tight end Zach Ertz on the trade market before he was placed on injured reserve with a high ankle sprain last week.

According to Ed Kracz of Sports Illustrated, both the Green Bay Packers and Baltimore Ravens made offers for Ertz prior to the injury.

Kracz noted that Ertz getting dealt before the Nov. 3 trade deadline is now unlikely since he is not eligible to return from IR until Nov. 22 at the earliest.

Ertz's contract expires after the 2021 season, and the two sides seemingly haven't made much progress on a new deal.

Prior to the start of the 2020 season in September, Ertz expressed some frustration regarding how the contract talks were going, per ESPN's Tim McManus:

"I don't want to get into the exact details, but I don't think it should be that hard to get a deal done now. At the same time, now that the season is starting, I can't really focus on that. During training camp, it kind of got the best of me a day or two, and I really just had to talk to a couple people and reset my mind and lean into my faith that I really can't control the situation and I'm going to trust in the Lord on this thing whether it's going to Philly—hopefully, I want to be here—or wherever it is."

While Ertz's struggles this season before getting injured can't be placed definitively on the contract situation and any distractions it may be causing, it is a logical line to draw.

Entering the 2020 campaign, the 29-year-old was consistently among the best and most productive tight ends in the NFL for most of his career.

Since 2015, Ertz finished with at least 74 receptions and 800 yards in five straight seasons. He was especially dominant from 2017-19 with three straight Pro Bowl nods and an average of over seven touchdown catches per season.

The second-round pick out of Stanford set career highs with 116 receptions for 1,163 yards and eight touchdowns in 2018 and followed that up with 88 grabs for 916 yards and six touchdowns last season.

In six games this season, Ertz has just 24 catches for 178 yards and one touchdown. Before Dallas Goedert also got injured, Ertz was no longer the clear-cut No. 1 tight end on the team, as the 2018 second-rounder had 13 catches for 138 yards and one touchdown in just three games.

Had Ertz not gotten injured, Green Bay and Baltimore both would have been logical potential landing spots if the Eagles made him available for trade.

The Packers have gotten a surprising five touchdown catches this season from third-year undrafted free agent Robert Tonyan, but with quarterback Aaron Rodgers having few reliable options in the passing game outside of No. 1 wide receiver Davante Adams, Ertz would have given Green Bay a much-needed weapon.

Baltimore is in a similar position, as quarterback Lamar Jackson is lacking weapons aside from tight end Mark Andrews and wide receiver Marquise Brown. Andrews was named to the Pro Bowl last season for the first time after catching 10 touchdowns, and he would have inarguably formed the best tight end tandem in the league with Ertz.

The Eagles are only off to a 2-4-1 start, but that is good enough for first place in the NFC East, so they may be better off playing the waiting game with Ertz and the rest of their injured players in hopes that they can contribute to a playoff push.

Philadelphia Eagles tight end Zach Ertz will miss at least three games after going on injured reserve with an ankle injury, but he may have missed a chance to suit up for a different team as well.  

"It's possible his ankle injury prevented a potential trade with teams," ESPN's Jeremy Fowler said on Thursday.

Fowler explained the Eagles were shopping Ertz prior to the Nov. 3 trade deadline, although the ankle injury undercut those efforts.

According to Spotrac, Ertz has a potential out on his contract in 2021.

Ian Rapoport of NFL Network reported on Sept. 3 that contract negotiations between Ertz and the Eagles "came to an abrupt halt" when the team seemed to low-ball him on an offer. The tight end told reporters the next week that the negotiations have been "frustrating at times" and "difficult" even though he said he wanted to remain with the team.

"I'm going to play this year like it's my last year," he added.

The Stanford product has been with the Eagles his entire career since they selected him with a second-round pick in the 2013 NFL draft. He is a three-time Pro Bowler who helped the team win a Super Bowl during the 2017 campaign, but he has just 178 receiving yards and one touchdown through six games this year.

That is a far cry from his typical production after he posted a career-best 1,163 receiving yards in 2018 and followed with 916 receiving yards and six touchdown catches last year.

Still, Ertz has dealt with health concerns and is set to turn 30 years old in November. The presence of the younger Dallas Goedert, 25, means the veteran may be expendable in Philadelphia's eyes, especially if it saves the organization from paying him a significant amount of money in a new contract.

Goedert tallied 58 catches for 607 yards and five touchdowns last year.

Philadelphia Eagles tight end Zach Ertz is reportedly expected to miss four to six weeks with an ankle injury suffered last week.

NFL Network's Mike Garafolo reported the news Thursday on Good Morning Football:  

The Eagles then announced Ertz has been placed on injured reserve.

The 29-year-old left last week's loss to the Baltimore Ravens with a high ankle sprain and finished the game with four receptions for 33 yards.

The 2020 season has been the worst of Ertz's career on several levels. His contract extension talks with the Eagles broke down in September, and he's been unable to find a rhythm in an injury-riddled year on the field.

The three-time Pro Bowler has recorded just 24 receptions for 178 yards and one touchdown despite the Eagles lacking solid pass-catching options for quarterback Carson Wentz. It's also looking increasingly like this will be Ertz's last season with the Eagles.

The offense has been decimated by injuries this season, and the team will be without Ertz, running back Miles Sanders and wide receiver Alshon Jeffery for Thursday night's game against the New York Giants.

Tight end Dallas Goedert will also miss the game, as he hasn't played since Week 3 because of a fractured ankle. With both Ertz and Goedert on the shelf, Richard Rodgers will step in as the team's No. 1 tight end.

Rodgers is a seven-year veteran who spent four seasons with the Green Bay Packers before joining the Eagles in 2018. He has nine catches for 99 yards so far this season, including three grabs for 31 yards last week.

Week 6 of the 2020 NFL season didn't quite go as most expected.

Teams like the San Francisco 49ers, Denver Broncos and Atlanta Falcons pulled off upsets. The Baltimore Ravens nearly blew it against the Philadelphia Eagles, and the Dallas Cowboys got completely embarrassed on Monday night.

The week was a perfect example of how the NFL landscape is an unpredictable animal. Heading into Thursday night's game between the New York Giants and Philadelphia Eagles, it's hard to imagine any outcome being a true shocker. What might the outcomes of Week 7 look like? Let's take a look.

Here you will find some early picks and props and the latest odds and over/unders from DraftKings Sportsbook.

NFL Week 7 Lines, Over/Unders and Predictions

New York Giants (+3.5, 44) at Philadelphia Eagles: 24-23 Philadelphia

Dallas Cowboys (n/a) at Washington Football Team: 22-20 Dallas

Buffalo Bills (n/a) at New York Jets: 34-20 Buffalo

Seattle Seahawks (n/a) at Arizona Cardinals: 33-30 Seattle

Kansas City Chiefs (n/a) at Denver Broncos: 33-24 Kansas City

Green Bay Packers (-3.5, 56.5) at Houston Texans: 37-34 Green Bay

Carolina Panthers (+7.5, 51) at New Orleans Saints: 28-26 New Orleans

Pittsburgh Steelers (-1.5, 52.5) at Tennessee Titans: 27-24 Tennessee

Cleveland Browns (-3, 51.5) at Cincinnati Bengals: 38-35 Cleveland

Detroit Lions (+2.5, 56.5) at Atlanta Falcons: 37-25 Atlanta

San Francisco 49ers (+2.5, 45.5) at New England Patriots: 24-23 New England

Jacksonville Jaguars (+8, 49) at Los Angeles Chargers: 28-22 Los Angeles

Tampa Bay Buccaneers (-2.5, 53.5) at Las Vegas Raiders: 24-22 Tampa Bay

Chicago Bears (+5.5, 46) at Los Angeles Rams: 26-25 Los Angeles

Eagles-Giants Highest Scoring Half

One prop found at Oddschecker involves predicting the highest-scoring half. Bettors can get even odds on the second half, which is the smart play here.

This is largely because Philadelphia could struggle to get its offense going early. Two of the team's biggest offensive weapons are unlikely to play. Running back Miles Sanders is dealing with a knee injury, while tight end Zach Ertz is expected to miss extended time with an ankle injury.

With both Sanders and Ertz out, the Eagles offense will be far from 100 percent. This might not be enough for the Giants to pull off the upset, but it could lead to a slower, lower-scoring first half.

New York Giants to Score First

Another prop from Oddschecker involves the team to score first. The Giants are -110 to do so and have a good shot at getting the first points.

There are a couple of factors in play here, the first being Philadelphia's aforementioned injuries. The second is the Eagles defense which ranks just 23rd in points allowed. While the New York offense is a far cry from a powerhouse, it won't be facing an elite unit.

Additionally, that Giants offense could be getting reinforcements in the form of wideout Sterling Shepard.

"We'll see, this could go up to a pregame workout, we're not sure," head coach Joe Judge said, per Paul Schwartz of the New York Post.

Green Bay Packers and Houston Texans OVER 56.5 Points

While an over/under of 56.5 points is on the high side, the Green Bay Packers and Houston Texans should have a good chance of reaching it. The Packers showed on Sunday that their defense can be exploited.

The Tampa Bay Buccaneers racked up 38 points, thanks to some big defensive plays and some tough running from Ronald Jones II.

The Houston Texans, meanwhile, are terrible against the run, ranking dead-last in yards allowed. If Aaron Rodgers doesn't carve up the Houston defense, running back Aaron Jones should. He already has 550 scrimmage yards and seven touchdowns on the season.

Expect this one to be a shootout similar to the 42-36 Texans and Tennessee Titans game from Week 6.