Who Should I Start? Zach Ertz or Irv Smith Jr.

Saturday, September 30, 2:00 AM

Arizona Cardinals tight end Zach Ertz should be considered a bench stash this week against the San Francisco 49ers. As the season has gone along, Ertz's fantasy production has sharply declined. Prior to Week 3, Ertz was heavily involved in the Arizona passing game but was an afterthought in the team's upset win over Dallas. In addition, the 49ers have so far allowed the ninth-fewest fantasy points to tight ends. Since it remains to be seen how heavily the Cardinals will utilize him, Ertz is currently a risky option. Unless fantasy managers have no other choice, he's best left on the bench for Week 4.

Friday, September 29, 3:00 PM

Cincinnati Bengals tight end Irv Smith Jr. (hamstring) has been ruled out for the Week 4 contest this Sunday against the Tennessee Titans. Smith was unable to practice all week and will now be inactive for the second straight game. The oft-injured 25-year-old is off to a bad start in his first year in Cincinnati. In the first two games, he caught just five of his nine targets for 27 yards. Now that he's hurt, Smith belongs on the waiver wire in most fantasy leagues for the foreseeable future. The Bengals got all three of Tanner Hudson, Mitchell Wilcox and Drew Sample involved in the Monday night win over the Los Angeles Rams, but none of them are worth streaming at the tight end position in Week 4 with Smith out again.