Zach Ertz Fantasy News and Statistics

There was a point in time that Stanford flat out didn't produce much in the way of NFL talent. Jim Harbaugh and David Shaw have changed all of that, and the Cardinal are now pumping out talent left and right. Zach Ertz is one of the new breed from Stanford to make the successful jump to the NFL, and the Philadelphia Eagles have loved having him to stretch out the middle of the field.

One could be forgiven for looking at Ertz as an odd fit for the Eagles. He's a California boy through and through, and it doesn't get much different than Palo Alto and Philadelphia.

Bringing Ertz to Stanford made all the sense in the world. He was one of the truly elite receivers in California high school football, catching 56 passes for 756 yards and 14 touchdowns in his senior season at Monte Vista High School. Moving him to tight end was a great move by the Cardinal, knowing that he could ultimately step into the role that Coby Fleener was set to vacate.

After redshirting as a freshman, Ertz immediately had an impact with Stanford in 2010. But it wasn't until his junior year that he really took off and made himself an NFL prospect. With Fleener out of the way, Ertz had 69 receptions for 898 yards and six touchdowns, the most for a tight end in the nation that season. Though he didn't win the Mackey Award, he was easily an All-Pac-12 selection and an All-American.

Following Ertz's big year, it only made sense for him to test the waters in the NFL, thus forgoing his last year at Stanford. He had first-round talent, but he ultimately had to wait until a few picks into the second round before the Eagles snared him.

Even though Ertz has never turned into a touchdown machine in the City of Brotherly Love, he has consistently played at a high level. He has only missed three games in his four-year career due to injury, and he's working on a streak of three straight seasons with at least 700 receiving yards.

Ertz has never made a Pro Bowl in his career, but with the way that Carson Wentz built a rapport with him in his rookie season in 2016, the sky is the limit. Ertz caught 73.6 percent of his targets from Wentz in 2016, amassing 816 yards.

He will never be the fastest tight end in the world, nor will he be the most athletic or the best route runner or anything like that. But what the Eagles have found is a consistent target who is seemingly always in the right place at the right time. He's filled a hole that was previously vacant at tight end, and with all of the speedy receivers and backs the Eagles have put on the field, Ertz is a nice change of pace and the consummate security blanket.

If Ertz can ever figure out how to get a few more looks in the red zone, he could easily evolve into one of the top tight ends in fantasy football.